Stop Shoreline's Carryout Bag Ordinance

This is an urgent call to help stop imminent legislation by the City of Shoreline to regulate your distribution of plastic and paper carryout bags. Neither residents or businesses of Shoreline are in favor of a ban. Last year, the City conducted surveys of both, which showed less than half favored even consideration of a ban. The motivation for a ban is coming from outside Shoreline. If the question must be asked at all, let it be answered by the voters by putting a Proposition on the November Ballot.

A plastic bag ban in Shoreline will hurt businesses and consumers. That is the last thing Shoreline needs right now. You all have heard the arguments for and against plastic bag bans. I will not repeat them here.

But let me catch you up on Shoreline's discussion of this issue.

In a hurry? Then just send an email to the Shoreline City Council today at council@shorelinewa.gov, telling them you oppose a plastic bag ban.

On Monday, April 29, the City Council of the City of Shoreline will revisit for the third and probably final time the issue of plastic bag regulations. In this meeting, a motion will be made to pass Ordinance No. 653, banning plastic carryout bags and requiring retailers to charge customers for paper carryout bags. This ordinance is similar to those already passed in neighboring cities. Support within the Shoreline City Council for this ordinance is split. Your voice could make the difference.

City intervention in the private lives of the community is doomed to failure.

There are 8 million stories in the naked city, and 53,000 here. The City should not take on the burden of trying to decide what is best for each of us. They have neither the competency, the right, or the crystal ball. Allow us to make our own decisions. Allow us to take responsibility for our lives. Allow us to enjoy the successes we are able to achieve, and to feel the pain of our failures. Allow us to help one another, or to ignore each other, if that is our preference. Allow us to choose.

Help stop this intrusive regulation of your business today. Please contact the Shoreline City Council immediately. This post includes all contact information and procedures, details of next week’s Shoreline City Council meeting, and background leading up to this proposed ordinance. Everything you need to understand and deal with this right now is provided in this email for your convenience. Don’t feel pressured to click on every link. Click on only the ones that interest you. But PLEASE, contact the Shoreline City Council today. Who knows, with enough pressure, they may just drop the whole thing.

How to Contact the City Council

1. Email your comments to the entire Shoreline City Council, individual Council members, or use the convenient online comment form provided by the City. Your comments will be posted to the Public Comment Folder on the City’s website, under Item 8(b), and may be visible to the public.
2. Speak to the City Council directly, by attending the City Council Business meeting next Monday at 7:00 PM at City Hall. You will have an opportunity to provide up to 3 minutes of oral public comment. You can provide handouts to the City Clerk if you like. Even if you do not intend to speak, your very presence will have a huge impact. You do not need to stay for the entire meeting.

Location:

Monday, April 29, 2013

7:00 PM

Council Chamber – Shoreline City Hall

17500 Midvale Avenue North

For first time attendees:

This may be the first time you attend a City Council Meeting. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM. The Public Comment period begins soon after. If you intend to speak, there is a signup sheet on the table to the right of the entrance. When it is your turn, your name will be called from the list, and you will be asked to state your name and city of residence. If you forget to sign up, you will still be given a chance to speak at the end.

Details about the proposed legislation, Ordinance No. 653

The agenda for the Monday, April 29 City Council Business Meeting includes a staff report for Item 8(b): Adoption of Ordinance No. 653 Regulating the Distribution of Plastic Carryout Bags and Requiring Retail Establishments to Collect a Pass-through Charge from Customers Requesting Recyclable Paper Carryout Bags.  The staff report is 15 pages and includes the full text of the proposed ordinance.

Here is a handy record of relevant past and future discussions by the City of Shoreline City Council, including tonight's meeting.

April 9, 2012

Staff Report – Councilmembers Roberts and Salomon introduce plastic bag regulation as a Council Topic. Staff asks for City Council direction on whether to apply additional City resources towards research.

Minutes

Public Comment (video runtime 00:23)

Bag Discussion (video runtime 00:47)

February 4, 2013

Staff Report - Staff asks for additional Council direction and interest in having staff bring back a draft ordinance.

Minutes

Comment Folder

Public Comment (video runtime 00:24)

Bag Discussion (video runtime 01:13)

April 29, 2013

Staff Report – Staff recommends adoption of Ordinance No. 653.

Comment Folder

Surveys

The City of Shoreline has conducted 2 surveys; one of residents, one of businesses. In both cases, the results showed a minority of respondents supported an ordinance banning plastic bags.

In August, 2012, the City published the results of its 2012 satisfaction survey. For the first time, it included the following question:

Q20:  Should the City of Shoreline Consider a Plastic Bag Ban as Part of its Environmental Sustainability Strategy?

The City reported: Forty-nine percent (49%) of residents feel the City should consider a plastic bag ban as part of its environmental sustainability strategy, compared to 31% who do not feel the City should consider a plastic bag ban; 17% of residents are “neutral”, and 3% indicated “don’t know”.

In other words, less than half of respondents said the City should consider, (let alone pass), a plastic bag ban. It should be noted, residents were not asked how they felt about being charged for paper carryout bags.

In January, 2013, the City completed a Plastic Carryout Bag Business Survey of a “select group” (top tax revenue generators) of local business owners and operators. The results of the survey were reported to the City Council on February 4 in  Attachments C and D of the February 4, 2013 Staff Report. Respondents were asked to rank 5 regulation alternatives. 66.7% of respondents listed as their first choice: No ban or fee on plastic carryout bags. There is no direct reference to this survey in the Staff report for the upcoming April 29 meeting.

What some Shoreline business owners and operators are saying

I will move my business and tax revenues out of your jurisdiction.

This is a silly way to approach this issue. There is easier and better ways to really fix this problem. Collecting a fee and still using the bags is not solving anything. Instead of asking all businesses to stop using or charging for the bags, the city should influence businesses like Costco, Sam’s Club and others like them to stop selling the so called hazardous plastic bags and start selling biodegradable plastic bags. So in a nut shell get the wholesalers to start selling biodegradable bags and we won’t have this silly debate.

I'd like to discuss the following: How the paper bags currently used are part of a branding strategy, our plans to offering a reusable bag, the slow process and expense to create/administer a fee.

Paper bags ($0.12) cost more than plastic ($0.025). Since a ban on plastic will drive some people to paper as opposed to reusables, the cost to businesses can be significant. This is why Central Market Shoreline prefers a ban plus a fee on plastic, like was done in Seattle and on Bainbridge Island.

As an electronic retailer, we do not use bags, but do use packaging made from recycled materials that are also recyclable.

It's sad to see the lockstep following of liberal west coast governments. Every one of these small taxes adds up to the overwhelming burden that modern governments place on businesses and citizens. It's very sad and very predictable. I hope and pray you'll resist the pressure.

What's the point? What's the problem that this is intended to cure? How about leaving well enough alone? No need to follow the busybodies in Edmonds, Seattle, Washington, and Boulder.

<Source: City's Business Owner and Operator Survey, December 2012-January 2013>

Prevention is cheaper than the cure

We can fight this cheaply and quickly by defeating the ordinance now, or expensively and with much effort later with a November referendum petition and campaign. Let’s take the easier route. Please help, and spread the word today!

The City’s John Norris, Management Analyst, or Dan Eernissee, Economic Development Manager, admit they have no data or reliable models to predict the impact this ordinance would have on Shoreline retail sales one way or another. Nor, they say, would they be able to credit or blame the ordinance for any actual gain or loss which might occur. Nevertheless, the City’s staff recommends to the City Council the adoption of this ordinance. 

Act today!

Stop this harmful legislation before it reaches a vote. Contact the Shoreline City Council today.

Protect Shoreline's business and consumer interests. Preserve our freedom of choice.