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IWMA votes for San Luis Obispo County-wide Styrofoam ban

October 10, 2019

BY CCT STAFF

The San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA) voted Wednesday to approve a countywide ban on Styrofoam. The ban is slated to go into effect in six months.

Currently, five of the seven cities in SLO County — Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo — have existing Styrofoam bans. Each of the ordinances prohibit restaurants and stores from providing food in Styrofoam containers.

The proposed county-wide ordinance mandates that businesses provide recyclable, biodegradable or compostable food containers. Likewise, the ordinance prohibits the sale of Styrofoam ice chests, marine buoys and packing peanuts.

The IWMA is a joint powers authority made up of a representative from each of the county’s seven cities, all five members of the SLO County Board of Supervisors, and one representative from the the county’s community services districts.

SLO County supervisors Debbie Arnold and John Peschong voted against the ban noting their concerns with the six-month jail sentence for violating the ordinance, the costs to small business owners, and the possibility that the IWMA does not have the legal authority to pass ordinances.

In regards to the six-month jail sentence for violating the ordinance, Grover Beach Mayor Jeff Lee said they would fine first-time violators and only penalize willful repeat violators with jail time.

Since 2008, the IWMA has passed eight ordinances, the legality of which is now being questioned. Many of those ordinances resulted in a steady income stream for favored local contractors.

The California Constitution grants only cities and counties power to pass ordinances —  not joint powers authorities such as SLO County’s IWMA.

The California Government Code specifies rules regarding city and county ordinances. Title 1 of the Government Code list the authorities of joint powers authorities, which does not include the ability to pass ordinances.

John Daly, an attorney who worked in the county counsel’s office for more than 30 years, said the IWMA is operating outside of its legal jurisdiction.

In response to Peschong’s concerns about the IWMA’s legal authority to pass ordinances, IWMA legal counsel Jeff Minnery said the agency has the legal authority to pass ordinances and enact criminal penalties for those who break them.


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Styrofoam……is there more than one chemical formula for what we call styrofoam?


What a hoot if they ban “styrofoam” but a host of other petrochemicals that are similar to, but not exactly like stryrofoam are still allowed?


Can’t we just live in a town where we can walk downstairs with our EBT card and buy a good vegan meal warmed via electric induction and served on hemp plates with bamboo sporks?


Anyhows, as long as we don’t eat meat, use natural gas, diesel, gasoline or propane, ride bikes or carpool short distances in electric cars we’ll be OK.


Also, it feels good to take away things from other people who aren’t as enlightened as we are…..like meat eaters and people who hoard styrofoam. Progressives have all the fun.


13

The planet is no safer and neither are the citizens by these clown’s gag.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown#Gags,_bits_and_business


13

What’s next? Memes? Probably…


-6

Good to see sloco taking care of the counties most pending delimas. Who gives a shit about the homeless, insane gas prices, the meth problem, weekly deaths on 166 or 46/41,power shut offs which will result in utter chaos is out long enough and all those unimportant things.


27

Snoid,

You almost sound like you are not proud of these non-elected highly paid servants of the community looking out for your best interests. They obviously know what is really important to our well being. Homeless, drug crisis, economic concerns are not the real problems, what restaurants use to contain to go food is the real crisis.


21

No worries, snoid does not live or vote here. But he/she likes to complain about everything/one in our county.


Pahrump or wherever must be a garden of freedom and rainbow unicorns compared to Slo County.

/s


-17

There are a large group of politicians, most tied the the SLO Progressives, who don’t seem to care about the law or what the public wants, they have their plan. They believe we will give up cars for bikes and walking, so we need to accept their plan for roads, bike lanes and parking. As for the law that allows elected officials to vote on ordinances, they know the county board would not vote to ban Styrofoam. And remember, without corrupt or incompetent attorneys these things could never happen.


24

Don’t forget to include our DA and judges with attorneys to complete the trifecta.


9

Kayaknut, You have a firm grasp on your oar.


Aka: “You have both oars in the water.”


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