In 3-2 vote, South Lake Tahoe leaders get rid of retail bag ban

The South Lake Tahoe City Council voted to rescind the ban on single use plastic bags in retail outlets during Monday's meeting. Mayor Wendy David and Mayor Pro Tem Austin Sass were the only ones who wanted to continue the ban but were outvoted in the 3-2 vote.

A similar vote of the council disappointed much of the public when, on August 5, 2014, they voted 3-2 to wait one year to implement the plastic bag ban at retail stores. On January 15 of that year, the ban on single use plastic bags went into affect at grocery stores and it was to take affect in retail stores ten months later.

The same three councilmembers who axed the change at that time were the same three who threw a wrench into the ban this time. Hal Cole, Tom Davis and JoAnn Conner all said they didn't want to hurt the small business owners in the community with having to supply paper instead of plastic. None of those owners have stepped forward with a complaint.

All letters received by the City Council on the agenda item and all people who spoke up at Monday's meeting concerning the current ban on plastic bags in retail stores were in favor of continuing the ban which has been in affect since October 15, 2015, saying it was the right thing to do for the environment.

"If your goal is to make the public disenfranchised, this is exactly what to do," said Peter Fink. "The ban is a symbol of our beautiful area."

"It is frustrating to see all of this revisited," said Gavin Feiger.

"I don't understand why we want to change," added Sass.

Hal Cole had asked for the ordinance to be revisited during this council meeting, saying he didn't realize they were voting on a plastic bag ban to take affect starting October 15. "I misunderstood," he said. "I don't think it's right to burden the small business owner."

Retails stores across the state offer paper bags to their customers, many of them with a charge such as in San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles County.

This all may be mute should the state's voters pass a measure in November of 2016. There was supposed to be a statewide ban starting on July 1 of this year, but bag manufacturers lobbied hard, and spent $3M, to keep the law off the books until voters had their say.