A public hearing on a proposed ordinance that would, if adopted, ban Hopewell Borough businesses from handing out single-use plastic bags to customers has been carried to the Borough Council’s October meeting.
Mayor Paul Anzano suggested carrying the public hearing to the Oct. 4 meeting to allow councilwomen Debra Lehman and Shelby Tewell an opportunity to weigh in on the proposed ordinance. Lehman and Tewell left the Sept. 6 meeting early.
At the same time, acknowledging the diversity of opinions on the ordinance, councilmen Ryan Kennedy and Chris Fossel have been tasked with drawing up an alternative ordinance for possible introduction at the Oct. 4 meeting.
Under the proposed ordinance introduced Aug. 2, businesses and stores would be permitted to hand out paper bags, which can be recycled, or they could make reusable bags available to customers, either for sale or for free.
Customers would be able to bring their own bags, or carry out items they purchased without a bag, according to the ordinance. Store owners would be encouraged to promote reusable bags and to post signs encouraging their use.
Several attendees at the Sept. 6 meeting said they favored the proposed ordinance that was set for final action.
Mary Lou Ferrara, who sits on the Sourland Conservancy Board of Trustees, said the group favors the ordinance and expressed its gratitude to the council. The nonprofit group “stands behind you,” she said.
Jim Waltman, the executive director of the Watershed Institute, also urged the council to adopt the ordinance. The Watershed Institute is the new name for the former Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association.
“Here is this borough, leading the parade, not following it,” Waltman said. On behalf of the Watershed Institute, he pledged it would provide 1,000 reusable bags for Hopewell Borough because “we want to help get it started.”
But Councilman Sky Morehouse repeated his opposition to the proposed ordinance. He was critical of it because it does not contain an educational component. He said he would like businesses to post a placard or poster near the cash register that would ask customers to think about whether they need a plastic bag.
Morehouse pointed to the difficulty of enforcing the ordinance, adding that “it bothers me. I don’t think you are going to call the police for someone who is using a plastic bag. The ordinance does not provide a solution.”
Morehouse suggested the council draft a proclamation that sets out its position on single-use plastic bags. It could also set out the town’s goals and at that point, perhaps an ordinance could be introduced, he said.
Anzano agreed. A resolution or proclamation could be brought before the council at its Oct. 4 meeting, he said.
Waltman expressed disappointment at the council’s decision not to act on the ordinance that evening, but Anzano assured him that “you will not be disappointed. We will come up with something.”