Agenda Packet 11-18-19 Public Hearing

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November 18, 2019, Public Hearing – Item 2 EUGENE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Public Hearing: An Ordinance Concerning Single-Use Checkout Bags, Amending Sections 6.850 and 6.855 of the Eugene Code, 1971, and Repealing Sections 6.860 and 6.865 of that Code. Meeting Date: November 18, 2019 Agenda Item Number: 2 Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Anna Reid www.eugene‐or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5463 ISSUE STATEMENT Over the past two decades, single-use plastic bags have been banned and regulated in various regions all over the globe due to their negative impacts on the environment. This ordinance is in response to Oregon Legislature adopting House Bill 2509, which regulates single-use checkout bags statewide and requires local governments to adopt identical definitions, requirements and restrictions. This public hearing is an opportunity to provide feedback to City Council on the proposed ordinance. BACKGROUND In 2012, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 20498, which became effective in May 2013, encouraging the use of reusable bags, banning single-use plastic carryout bags, and requiring businesses to charge a five-cent fee for each recyclable carryout paper bag. Exemptions in the 2012 ordinance allowed food providers to distribute single-use plastic bags to customers when providing hot prepared take-out foods and required retail establishments to provide a reusable bag or a recyclable paper bag at no cost to customers using Women, Infants and Children Program vouchers. In June of this year, Oregon Legislature adopted House Bill 2509. In addition to prohibiting retail establishments from providing single-use bags made of plastic, the act prohibits the distribution of single-use bags made of non-recycled paper or any other material. The act also does not allow an exemption for restaurants. The act also allows retail establishments to provide recycled paper checkout bags or reusable plastic checkout bags at no cost to customers using WIC vouchers and those using a state-issued electronic benefits transfer card. The act allows local governments the option to require businesses to charge more than a five-cent fee for each recycled paper or reusable plastic checkout bag and to impose a penalty other than the one established in the act, which is a Class D violation subject to a maximum fine of $250. This law goes into effect on January 1, 2020. The proposed ordinance, which aligns with the State’s requirements by further restricting the use of single-use plastic bags also supports City Council’s sustainable development goal by meeting the community’s present environmental, economic and social needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.