South Lake Tahoe City Council wrap-up; Plastic bag ban partially rescinded

The agenda for the South Lake Tahoe City Council was a light one this week.

The plastic bag ban ordinance was amended to only affect grocery stores and not retail outlets. Former Mayor Hal Cole asked for the issue to be brought back before the council in October. "I thought we were only voting to bring the ordinance back for review, not to pass it," Cole said about his vote on October 15, 2013.

Plastic Bag Ban Timeline

September, 2012 - City's Sustainability Committee eyes plastic bag ban

October, 2013 - Plastic Bag Ban is voted on to start in January, 2014

November, 2013 - Informational meeting about ban for locals

January, 2014 - First Phase of Plastic Bag Ban starts

June, 2014 - Second Phase of Plastic Bag Ban is delayed

June, 2014 - Editorial by South Tahoe Now on doing the right thing and banning plastic

August, 2015 - Beach Clean-ups have rise in trash collected, but 50% less in numbers of plastic bags

October 15, 2015 - Second Phase of Plastic Bag Ban, this time for retail stores, begins.

October 20, 2015 - Former Mayor Hal Cole wants to undo the plastic bag ban for retail, asks for subject to come before council again.

January 19, 2016 - City Council votes 3-2 to have a plastic bag ban on grocery stores only, and retail stores are now exempt.

Current Mayor Wendy David and Mayor Pro Tem Austin Sass were the only councilmembers to vote to keep the ban in place on Tuesday. Cole, Tom Davis and JoAnn Conner all voted against the ban.

In other action, the Council gave final approval to sandwich board signage regulations, allowing businesses to place the signs out from 8:00 a.m. Friday to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. They are not allowed at any other time according to the code.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department finally gets a security fence for their automobile bay area. Due to rising violence against law enforcement it was decided a fence was needed for their protection. The contract was awarded to Crusader Fence Company of Rancho Cordova, Calif., in the amount of $306,070.