Palmer City Council heats up over plastic bag ban

PALMER — The Palmer City Council had lively discussion concerning a plastic bag ban at the regularly scheduled meeting on Feb 27 at Palmer City Hall. Seven public commenters stepped up to tell the Council that they opposed the single use plastic bags. Helen Woodings even wrote her own plastic bag poem.

“If Wasilla can do it, Palmer can do it,” said Diana Zitmanis.

Motions to approve a rezoning of a section at Bud Woods Memorial Airport for an Aeronautical Campground and accepting $323,400 from the state for sidewalk upgrades to become compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed unanimously.

The Council also approved its action memoranda items unanimously, but amdended funds given out for local races.

The Council voted to improve Palmer’s Water and Sewer across the Glenn Highway for $307,270. Once the new Glenn Highway project is complete, they will not allow the asphalt to be cut for five years. Doing so now could prevent future costs.

“This is absolutely a needed project,” said Councilman Brad Hanson. “We have to get across the Glenn Highway,”

The Council amended both of the requests submitted for community grants. The Mat-Su Miners asked for $2,000 to fund their Mayor’s Green Day Gallop and the Mat Su Running Club’s requested $2,007. Both were granted $1,000.

“Many of these grants have been to try to bring people into the downtown area and to try to stimulate business in our community and an effort in increase healthy living,” said Deputy Mayor Richard Best.

Discussion about community grants was centered around reduction. The Mat-Su Miners Green Day Gallop starts and finishes at the Palmer Train Depot. The Mat-Su Running Club’s request coincides with the Who Let The Girls Out event sponsored by the Downtown Merchants Association, whom the Council has already donated to. The Council discussed whether it was appropriate to fund the Running Club when the proceeds do not go to charity. Hanson said he would have preferred they ask for funds to buy a finish line arch and timing equipment rather than to fund their events each year.

“We should conserve our funds and look more grassroots efforts versus the larger efforts,” said Councilman David Fuller.

Denise Christopher had begun public comment asking for the donation to the Green Day Gallop. Seven consecutive public commenters then came forward to testify in favor of a plastic bag ban. One commenter gave public testimony with a reusable bag in his back pocket. He stood up to remove the bag and display his ‘concealed carry: grocery style.’ The Council moved into the committee on the whole to discuss the plastic bag ban. Molly Boyer and Carol Montgomery were asked to help clarify after the council voted to suspend the rules and allow experts to give their input. Boyer and Montgomery are part of the Mat Su Zero Waste Coalition.

Discussion ranged far and wide. Boyer and Montgomery explained what they had learned in their discussion with retailers. They said that banning bags outright but not charging for reusable bags allowed the problem to persist as people would treat the thicker reusable bags like single use bags. They proposed that a solution to keeping plastic out of the environment was to incur a fee for using reusable bags provided at the source.

“If you don’t do something, it would be harmful to our community, and long term to our children’s children,” said Boyer.

Examples of other cities were provided. Some cities had to retroactively place a cost on purchasing reusable bags. The Council discussed at what thickness a bag becomes reusable. Montgomery stated that defining a reusable bag as able to hold 75 lbs. or withstand 175 uses was standard, but that thickness of the material also needed clarification. Both women stated that the charge for bags was not a tax and that a plastic bag ban would not work because the reusable bags were also made of plastic. Boyer informed the council that paper bags carry a larger carbon footprint than plastic ones.

“It makes you remember. It helps the problem fix itself. People don’t want to pay that, so having those bags available is good just so that people have something to bring their groceries home in. It makes you remember to bring more reusable bags from home,” said Council member Sabrena Combs.

Many joking comments were made as to a rivalry with Wasilla’s bag ban, which goes into effect July 1. Council member David Fuller was adamant on a total ban, not allowing the plastic pollution to persist.

“I don’t want to get gimmicky and I don’t want to get cute. If we’re going to get rid of plastic bags, I think we need to get rid of plastic bags,” said Fuller.

Discussion over how to regulate such a violation went unresolved. The idea of putting the ban in front of the voters garnered mixed reactions.

“I’ve been using my own reusable bag for over 20 years. I keep five in my car. I keep five by the front door. This is not new to me,” said Zitmanis after the meeting.

“This is our community we can make it better we should do that,” said Councilman Pete LaFrance