A plastic shopping bag flutters in a tree on Monmouth Street recently.
It’s not quite the far-reaching approach that its sponsor, Councilman Mike DuPont, first proposed late last year.
But an ordinance that DuPont thinks will enable Red Bank to begin to get control over the scourge of flyaway plastic grocery bags appears headed for approval by the governing body.
A public hearing and vote on the ordinance is scheduled for tonight’s 5:30p meeting. Here’s the full text: Download plast_bag_ordinance.pdf
“We have a number of environmental assets here in Red Bank, including the river and open space, and plastic bags are certainly a bane to those assets,” DuPont said when he introduced the revised ordinance Feb. 27.
If enacted, the law would require merchants to provide bins in which customers could deposit used recyclable bags by June 1, and for those stores that use non-compostable or non-recyclable bags to take those bags back as well. Stores would also be responsible for recycling those materials or making them sanitary for reuse.
The proposed ordinance replaces one that appeared on a council agenda for introduction in late November, but was pulled when Mayor Pasquale Menna suggested there be more input from affected merchants first.
Unmentioned at the reintroduction was that the reach of the law has been dialed back. What’s different from one version to the next? The original one (which for some reason is no longer on the borough website) would have additionally required stores to gradually phase out plastic bags entirely and use only recyclable, compostable or reusable bags by June, 2009.
DuPont says the change was not as a result of any objections by merchants, who he says have gotten behind the idea in general. Rather, after input from the borough Environmental Commission, DuPont said he decided to “cut it back a little bit” in order to phase in the concept.
As for the outright elimination of plastic bags, “I still think that is going to happen,” DuPont told redbankgreen recently.”I still think the stores are willing to do that.”
At the time the initial version was introduced, Councilman John Curley raised objections, questioning whether bag regulation was best handled by municipalities instead of a statewide approach.
He voted in favor of introducing the revised ordinance last month.
Also on tonight’s agenda:
• An ordinance making permit-parking a round-the-clock reality on Hudson Avenue.
• The appointment of Jorge Torres as a probationary police officer.
• A resolution accepting a negotiated settlement of a tax appeal, reducing the assessment on the Greentree Apartments complex on Spring Street from $8.6 million to $7 million for tax year 2007, and a reduction for 2006 as well.
• A resolution to hire Peter Sockler as an expert apparaiser. (The link from the agenda to the document is bad, so we don’t know the particulars on this one.)
Times Online Logo 222 x 25
From The Times
March 8, 2008
Series of blunders turned the plastic bag into global villain
Alexi Mostrous
Scientists and environmentalists have attacked a global campaign to ban plastic bags which they say is based on flawed science and exaggerated claims.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3508263.ece
Excellent article. Thanks bagman.
Yes great article and here is a follow-up post that was great
"I suppose 100,000 thousand birds is a lot. But did you know that approximately 1 BILLION birds die in the US by flying into buildings (they don't see the glass).
ref: http://www.birdsandbuildings.org/faqs.html#4"
Hey Mike & Council…let's spend time trimming the budget and fixing real problems here in Red Bank and let's cut out the "knee jerk" environmetalism.
thank god pat menna got the merchants info it would be a bitch to tell a national chain not only is there no where to park because we cant get out of our own way and build a garage but you cant use your trademark bag in our town i have an idea worry about the garbage in the streets that is rarely cleaned maybe as the meter maids are circling the town they could make themselves useful and chase down a bag or two maybe they could even put them over there heads maybe we should try fixing a pothole or two or when it snows actually put some salt on the streets or get some of these pig lanlords to paint and fix there bldgs but i guess its easier to just pass another another dumb ordinance thanks so much for saving us from the attack of the plastic bags now go solve the parking problem thanks again
Most businesses in town buy bags in bulk quantity. We have enough plastic bags in storage to last until Fall. So now we're supposed to throw them all out or be fined? How did that just help the environment? And why can the residences throw out their bags but the businesses can't? This is so not well thought out it's amazing. Why not bring the idea before Rivercenter to see if the businesses can work the problem out amongst themselves. Maybe a re-usable Red Bank canvas bag? I could offer customers a few cents back for bringing it instead of my buying bags. So could most businesses in town. And hey, Red Bank could MAKE MONEY off of selling the bags. Maybe give one away free with each parking ticket!
Joseph, I'm not sure that they can use the salt as its located in a building that is adjoined to the chimney stack that we all were led to believe was contaminate free and now we find the exact opposite (acording to the master plan), is the case.
What I would like to know is who is on the finance committee, and who reviewed the CFOs report and did not see that he had not sent out the water bills on time? I thought that after the Ex mayor had lambasted Curley that this would never happen again. Now this is costing us several hundred thousand dollars (delayed, but it will still come in), and we, the tax payers are again going to have to foot the bill for mismanagement by the Borough council in the way of proposed increased water bills. Did not our Borough administrator review these papers, did not the mayor and council or other members of the finance committee not see this glaring error, how could this happen, and will the rate go back down to its original figure after the money comes in late or will find ourselves shafted again? This has to end, to many residents are having to now wear their pants on backwards to make it easier for the borough as its happening so often.
Now were told that we should have to pay for another bout of bad planning by the borough for over the last 15- 20 years for the failing water infrastructure. Where on earth were your heads buried all this time, you all were raving about the need for increased parking as the town grew, what about the sewer and water? I cant understand how that didn't enter your heads. When you build a home you need new hook ups, we have been in the process over the last ten years of building a new little Town/city. The borough engineers, the administrator, public works administrator and committee, the Mayor (and ex), and the council members, Parking? that was the least of your problems.
Sell the YMCA building (not to an exempt organization), negotiate a figure with the 'Y' (as that renewed contract was screwed up, (anyone see at trend here), by not adding the reverter clause), and use the money generated by the sale to help pay off the poor management/oversight of the water/sewer system, maybe take a few bucks out of the parking fund (how much is actually in there, and who manages this, I would imagine that its a huge amount of money)? its about time that this cash cow was utilized to help the boroughs real needs.
sorry for going on and on, but for a last thought. some of the people that are on the council it would seem are burning the candle at both ends. You cannot manage a town/small city, and then someone else's, and then a full time job, and then represent the state, and then represent another town and keep track of all of your pension monies and other perks within a forty hour week.. We need someone who works a regular job (and a part time one the way things are going in Red Bank), and who can devote the time needed to our town.
gary you are so right but you fil to realize how can we do all these things when the man at the top rather buy million dollar fire trucks like we buy underwear and then they have to play with them and clean them and mop the floors in the fire house and get rid of all the beer bottles every morning how can all this get done and still run the town this bukkshit has to change or this town is heading for disaster its up to these boards to realize we need to split up these jobs so all the important things you speak off get full attention from different people dont ever apologize for going on and on you should be doing it at town hall in front of all the newspapers its the only way to change things around here
gary morris read about my comments on the way this town pisses money away on these firehouses i think you will have some words of wisdom it sounds like you got this town figured out also