Brought to you by The Elgin Watchman A EnvironmentalLocalSustainabilityPodcast Proposed Single Use Plastic Bag Fee Ordinance (and paper bags, too!) Take a Stand ... Advocate! elginwatchman.buzzsprout.com elginwatchman.com facebook.com/TheElginWatchman
Wally The
Watchman Ifyou'vebeenfollowingmyfriendsTia&Erikonthe podcastforthelastfewmonths,thenyouknowthey'vebeen coveringtheElginSustainabilityCommission'seffortstogetcity staffandtheElginCityCounciltotake-upandadoptaSingle UsePlasticBag(andpaperbag)Feeordinance. Ifyouhaven'tbeenlisteningtothepodcast,thenWTF?Go subscribe...it'sFREEforPete'ssake!!! https://elginwatchman.buzzsprout.com/ Hugs & Kisses Wally This eBook (or maybe it's an eZine?!?!) is my way of summarizing the commission's journey. It is also my way of helping make it easy for you to KEEP WATCH and more importantly GET INVOLVED ! The Elgin Watchman podcast
Dear Elgin Residents & Eco-Friends, My name is Wally The Watchman, and I am the "muse" behind The Elgin Watchman podcast. I like to think of myself as Elgin's "Call To Action" on issues that are important to our community's sustainability.
Wally The
Watchman
One The Beginning Season 1 Episode 5
Chapter [Tia] ... what is currently being discussed, is a fee not a ban. Bans are the kind of thing you might have heard, I think like Chicago was a city that did a plastic bag ban. There's a lot of loopholes it can generate. You know, the creation of a thicker plastic bag that is technically reusable. And so, it falls into this loophole category. So, this [draft ordinance being considered] is a fee, and it specifically places a charge on the consumer for using a plastic bag at a retailer. And they have to pay a fee in order to have your groceries put in a plastic bag. You don't have to be charged anything if you bring your own or if you simply put your groceries in a cart or however else you choose not to use the bag. Then you are not charged that fee. So, this is a fee. And this is important because there are distinctions between these two [e.g. fees vs bans], and the research shows that the fee is actually more successful than the outright ban.
After covering the April 2022 Elgin Sustainability Commission meeting (and the myriad of issues they discussed), Tia & Erik spend a decent amount of time unpacking what they saw as one of the biggest issues of the evening -- pushing for adoption of a Single Use Plastic Bag Fee ordinance. The following is a excerpt of this podcast episode transcript:
Chapter Two The Continuation Season 1 Episode 7
After covering the May 2022 Elgin Sustainability Commission meeting (and the myriad of issues they discussed), Tia & Erik spent another decent chunk of time talking about the Single Use Plastic Bag Fee ordinance, how some commissioners didn't seem engaged, and how city staff were starting to resist. The following is a excerpt of this podcast episode transcript: [Erik] . . . there were issues brought up by city staff, encouraging the commission to do their homework on technical issues, such as could plastic bag fees be assessed with someone who uses a SNAP card, which in the old days, we used to call food stamps. And another technical issue was how would the city go about collecting such a fee from local business owners, I think was another example given. So, we have to dot our I's and cross our T's before we bring this to the city council. [Tia] Right? [sarcasm implied] Because your average volunteer Sustainability Commissioner would know a lot about tax assessment on a municipal level, right? [Erik] Yeah, I guess I never thought of it that way. I certainly don't. And I sat on the commission [from 2017-2020 with Tia].
After covering the June 2022 Elgin Sustainability Commission meeting, Tia & Erik talked at length about how the issue of a Single Use Plastic Bag Fee ordinance had mysteriously disappeared from that month's commission agenda after being so actively discussed at the last few meetings. The following is a excerpt of this podcast episode transcript: [Erik] Damn right. Sometimes it's not the things that make it onto public meeting agendas that's newsworthy. It's the things that are conspicuously missing that are big news. So what's going on? there to the commission has been talking about the draft ordinance forever what happened? [Tia] I couldn't agree more, but since you and I are both on the outside of the castle walls now, I don't really want to speculate. I have no clue why the draft ordinance wasn't on the agenda, but I know somebody who Wouldmight.you please do me a favor and dial on that bat phone of yours our friend Elgin sustainability Commissioner Jeff this into today's podcast?
Chapter Three The Silence Season 1 Episode 9
Erik & Tia called Sustainability Commissioner Jeff Biss, who is the chair of the Waste Workgroup to ask a few questions about what was going on.
Erik'sincreasingsenseofpessimismhadhimunsureifa majorityoffivecouncilmemberscouldbeidentifiedasYES votesforaSingleUsePlasticBagFeeordinance.Tiawasfar moreoptimisticandbravelyissuedaprediction.
Thefollowingisaexcerptofthispodcastepisodetranscript: [Tia] ... in February 2022, Oceana released the results of a new nationwide poll, revealing that 81% of American voters support national, state and local policies that reduce single use plastic. The vast majority of registered voters reported being concerned about plastic pollution. And there's widespread bipartisan support for policies that reduce the use of single use plastic products, including plastic bags, foam foodware, takeout containers and packaging from online shopping. So, with the 2023 mayoral election on the horizon, I predict Mayor David Kaptain, who is desperately looking to do something that very few Elgin mayor's have ever done -- win a fourth term in office -- will step-in, broker the necessary support, and will champion this issue so that he might have *something* to tell the voters as he tries to convince them he is worthy of a fourth term.
Chapter Four The Awakening Season 1 Episode 11
While the Elgin Sustainability Commission's efforts appear to have stalled, Tia & Erik continue their efforts to advocate for the policy. They turn their attention to interviewing council members to see whether they agree with the commission's work on a Single Use Plastic Bag Fee ordinance. The following is a excerpt of this podcast episode transcript featuring an interview with City Councilwoman Tish Powell, who is undecided about how she might vote on an ordinance like the one being advocated by the Sustainability Commission: [Tish] I am definitely leaning towards what is being proposed. I just have some concerns. Of course. My first and foremost concern is timing. I'll be honest, timing right now is not ideal. Of course, it's never ideal. But you know, we're in a situation right now, where we are at a 40-year high with inflation. the economy is really in flux. Gas prices are high and dealing with the effects from COVID, I'm very concerned about the disproportionate impact that this fee would have on our residents, especially our low income residents and our seniors. . . I would want to see surveys from residents, you know, getting their feedback on whether or not they would be in favor of a program like this. And how do we measure success? You know, how much we're actually diverting from landfills?
Chapter Five The Undecided Middle Season 1 Episode 13
While the Elgin Sustainability Commission's efforts appear to have stalled, Tia & Erik continue their efforts to advocate for the policy. They turn their attention to interviewing council members to see whether they agree with the commission's work on a Single Use Plastic Bag Fee ordinance. The following is a excerpt of this podcast episode transcript featuring an interview with City Councilman Corey Dixon, who is a likely YES vote on an ordinance like the one being advocated by the Sustainability Commission: [Corey] I think the assessment of a fee versus an outright ban is a major step in the right direction. And probably just saying no to plastic bags period, is like going all the way, rounding back to home plate. And like going all the way essentially. So, I would want to balance between those two ideas, seeing what the pros and the cons are for each one. You know, I actually lean toward total banning, just that's just my gut reaction now. And once I get more information [from the commission], and there's more analysis and conversations, I might change on that. But just in my spirit, I feel like that may be the way to go. But certainly doing a fee. I don't think that that's necessarily wrong.
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Chapter Six
The Supportive Leader Season Episode
14
Seven
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Chapter The Insider Season Episode
15
There is significant chatter about the City of Elgin needing to look at implementing a FREE reusable shopping bag program in conjunction with a Single Use Bag Fee ordinance. However, city staff keep asking commissioners to get feedback from other communities that implemented a similar program. After months of inaction, The Elgin Watchman found a staff person who had worked on a team in another community on a similar project and interviewed him. The following is a excerpt of this podcast episode transcript: [Tom Anonymous] ... there were countless hours, probably ... two and a half years ... of just volunteer time between commissioners & liaisons from the from the municipality trying to work together to come up with the [reusable bag giveaway] plan ... The cost initially, I think was in the lower multiple of $10,000 ranges. ... [for somewhere between] 10,000 and 20,000 [reusable shopping] bags. [Erik] How many volunteers do you think you need for a community Elgin's size in order to operationalize distribution of reusable shopping bags? [Tom Anonymous] A city the size of Elgin, which is over 100,000 [residents], is gonna need several thousand [volunteers]...
Chapter Eight The Leader By Example Season 1 Episode 16
If city staff said it once, they said it many times, "The commission should talk to other municipalities who have implemented a similar plastic bag fee and/or reusable shopping bag giveaway program."
[Cynthia] ... it could have been moved along a little bit more quickly ... there were a lot of times I think that with the education and the talking with retailers could have been shortened. [John] It's go time. More than 400 municipalities and states have laws on the books banning single use plastic bags or placing a fee on them. ... The state of Illinois is poised to join those governments, which may cost Elgin potential revenue to do some good things in our community. The time for benchmarking and talking was years ago, the time to act is now.
After months of inaction, The Elgin Watchman found a nonprofit CEO whose organization successfully accomplished both things in Woodstock, IL. The following is a excerpt of this podcast episode transcript: [Erik] If you can go back in time to the beginning of Woodstock's single use plastic bag fee ordinance ... what would you do differently?
[Tia] ... she sort of said, "Hey, guys, what's the expectation for timeline here?" And whether she was telegraphing her own concerns or ... she was legitimately asking the question, I'm not sure. But it sort of then went from couldn't city staff put together some things ... [then] it came back to, I don't necessarily think ... city staff should be going out and doing all this work if City Council maybe doesn't deem it necessary.
Chapter Nine The Recommendation Season 1 Episode 17
[Erik] ... [city of Elgin] Sustainability Analyst Mikala Larson asked the commission some very cagey questions about the Commission's expectations around timeline for getting something to the city council. What do you think's going on there?
Elgin residents came out of the woodwork, attended the August 2022 commission meeting, raised their voices (literally) and advocated for commissioners to vote that evening to recommend city staff & city council review, revised, and adopt the proposed Single Use Plastic (and paper) Bag Fee ordinance the Waste Workgroup had been working on for more than fouryears. The following is a excerpt of this podcast episode transcript:
[Erik] ... go to commission meetings ... join the Zero Waste Workgroup ... go to city council meetings ... call the Mayor ... call all of your additional eight individual city council members or email them ... get your friends to do the same ... call 3-1-1 and ask for information about how to currently dispose of or recycle your single use plastic bags ... when you're at the grocery story, go to the customer service desk & ask to talk to the manager about when they plan on offering a single use plastic bag recycling program ...
Chapter Ten The Call To Action Season 1 Episode 18
[Jeff]ordinance....they've got to contact our city council and Mayor ...
The Elgin Sustainability Commission voted at its August 2022 meeting to recommend city staff & city council review, revise, and adopt a Single Use Plastic (and paper) Bag Fee ordinance. Commissioner Jeff Biss came on the podcast and talked about how Elgin residents & voters can get more involved in advocacy over the next few months. The following is a excerpt of this podcast episode transcript: [Erik] So, I want to talk a little bit about next steps. I'm sure that there are podcast listeners out there who might be wondering what they can do to help advocate for this potential ... single use bag fee
Epilogue What can YOU do? Next Steps? Wally The Watchman Hello again, Elgin ! If you've listened to any of The Elgin Watchman podcasts on this topic, then you know the fight is far from being over. This is where YOU need to get involved. if this is an issue you care about. Would you consider attending city council meetings until they vote on the Single Use Bag Fee ordinance and use the 2-3 minutes every month to speak from the podium to the city council about plastics pollution? GREAT! Then mark your calendar:Sept14, 2022 @ 7pm Sept 28, 2022 @7pm Oct 12, 2022 @7pm Oct 26, 2022 @7pm Nov 2, 2022 @7pm Nov 16, 2022 @7pm Dec 7, 2022 @7pm Dec 21, 2022Hugs@7pm&Kisses Wally Would you consider making a phone call AND sending an email to the Mayor as well as each and every Elgin city council person? GREAT! Let your fingers do the walking: Mayor Dave Kaptain | 847 385 4478 | mayor@cityofelginorg Councilperson Corey Dixon | 847 450 4847 | dixon c@cityofelginorg Councilperson Dustin Good | 224 636 0996 | good_d@cityofelginorg Councilperson Rose Martinez | 847 302 7961 | martinez r@cityofelginorg Councilperson Tish Powell | 224 388 6343 | powell_t@cityofelginorg Councilperson Carol Rauschenberger | 847 873 9995 | Councilperson Toby Shaw | 773 552 8094 | shaw t@cityofelginorg Councilperson John Steffen | 847 741 0503 | steffen_j@cityofelginorg Councilperson Steve Thoren | 847 840 7319 | thoren s@cityofelginorg rauschenberger_c@cityofelginorg
The Elgin Watchman An Environmental Sustainability Podcast Get Involved . . . Be Engaged . . . and ALWAYS Keep Watch! elginwatchman.buzzsprout.com elginwatchman com facebook.com/TheElginWatchman https://podcasts apple com/us/podcast/elgin watchman/id1610950386 https://www.stitcher.com/show/elgin watchman https://castbox fm/channel/id4806985? utm campaign=ex share ch&utm medium=exlink&country=us https://open spotify com/show/1pvL9t8Z0UPaUL2GJ1ijqd https://music amazon com/podcasts/5b91ce68 f726 48a1 b7c1 30b522ae0579/elgin watchman?refMarker=null https://web podfriend com/podcast/1610950386 https://feeds buzzsprout com/1934823 rss Want to get involved in the Elgin Sustainability Commission's Waste Workgroup? Call Elgin Sustainability Analyst Mikala Larsen at 847-931-5615
