3.11.2019 City Council Work Session Minutes

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3. WORK SESSION: Single -Use Plastic Items Waste Prevention Manager Michael Wisth presented on the advantages and disadvantages of plastic alternatives, the health considerations for restaurant/retail food patrons, and efforts to work with Lane County on educational opportunities. Intergovernmental Relations Manager Ethan Nelson provided an update on related legislation. Council Discussion • Councilor Clark - said the City should incentivize innovation rather than forcing businesses and residents to comply; suggested a competition to spur the invention of better options. • Councilor Zelenka - noted how helpful the graphs were for understanding the impact of the type of material used to make the packaging; asked how HB 2509 compares to Eugene's current code; asked about the status of state bills pertaining to polystyrene and plastic straws. • Councilor Pryor - said that incentives used to work better than they do now; asked whether aluminum foil could be a good alternative to some containers; expressed his support for staffs recommendations. • Councilor Semple - expressed disappointment that there were no good alternatives to plastic; expressed interest in Councilor Clark's suggestion about incentivizing innovation locally; expressed gratitude for the life -cycle analysis of containers; expressed hope the City could draft an ordinance and hold a public hearing sooner rather than later. • Councilor Yeh - asked whether staff had adequate funding for educational programming. • Councilor Clark - asked for clarification on Option 3. • Councilor Zelenka - asked the City Attorney whether it was possible to vote on all three recommendations at once. • Councilor Clark - asked whether banning polystyrene was included in the recommendations. MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Semple, seconded by Councilor Pryor, moved to: 1. Direct the City Manager to draft an amendment to the current bag ban to include single use carryout bags for retail food businesses; wait until HB 2509 has come to fruition before scheduling a public hearing; and direct the IGR Manager to support inclusion of restaurants into HB 2509, remove the pre-emption of locally adopted ordinances, and maintain a 5 cent bag fee. 2. Direct the City Manager to draft an ordinance banning polystyrene carryout containers based on the standards within HB 2883; wait until HB 2883 has come to fruition before scheduling the public hearing; and direct the IGR Manager to lobby in support of HB 2883 as a state wide law to ban polystyrene containers for food vendors. 3. Direct the City Manager to draft an ordinance and schedule a public hearing in May requiring retain food businesses to provide single -use serviceware and utensils only upon request by the customer. Includes straws, lids, utensil, stirrers and packaged condiments. PASSED: 5:0. The work session adjourned at 7:00 p.m Respectfully submitted, ,6,tA Beth Forrest City Recorder Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting: here. (Recorded by Cas Casados) MINUTES - Eugene City Council March 11, 2019 Page 2 Work Session