8984-18 Support County $.10 fee Plastic Bags

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RESOLUTIONNO. 898.4_18 BY: Bullock, George, Litten, O'Leary, O'Malley, Rader. A RESOLUTION supporting the adoption of proposed Ordinance No. 02017 -0006 by the County Council of Cuyahoga County; an ordinance creating a $.10 fee to be charged for disposable plastic bags, countywide. WHEREAS it is estimated that only 5% of disposable plastic bags are recycled. Many bags end up in our waterways with 5.5 million pounds of plastic pollution contaminating Lake Erie each year, and; WHEREAS Lakewood has approximately three and a half miles of shoreline along Lake Erie and protecting this valuable resource is our responsibility and should remain our top priority, and; WHEREAS municipalities around the nation such as Washington DC, Chicago, and Las Angeles County have instituted fees for disposable bags with great success, realizing virtually immediate reductions in litter and water pollution, and; WHEREAS protection exists within the legislation, exempting those who use SNAP (Food Stamps) and thus avoids being regressive and is not onerous to vulnerable populations, and; WHEREAS fees collected through this ordinance will be split between the retailer (40 %) and County (60 %), creating both an economic opportunity for retailers and a funding source for the County to provide environmental education and free reusable bags to the public, and; WHEREAS supporting a disposable bag fee is consistent with the City's Community Vision which articulates a goal of adopting environmental best practices as well as the City's recently expressed focus on resiliency. Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY of LAKEWOOD, STATE of OHIO: Section 1. That this Council and Mayor recognize that supporting this countywide initiative is in the best interest of our environment and our citizens' long -term health and wellbeing and support County Ordinance No. 02017 -0006 as a measure to control pollution. Section 2. That this Council and Mayor further resolve to strongly encourage the Honorable County Council of Cuyahoga County, Ohio to adopt Ordinance No. 02017 -0006 by having the Clerk of Council send a copy of this signed Resolution to Lakewood's representative on County Council. Section 3. It is found and determined that all formal actions of this Council concerning and relating to the passage of this resolution were adopted in an open meeting of this Council, and that all such deliberations of this Council and any of its committees that resulted in such formal action, were in meetings open to the public, in compliance with all legal requirements.