Oxford tables plastic bag ban ordinance

OXFORD — Following a nearly 30-minute public hearing, the Commissioners of Oxford tabled an ordinance that would ban retail establishments in town from giving out single-use, disposable plastic bags.

At a town meeting on Aug. 27, Town Attorney Lyndsey Ryan said the ban would apply to retail establishments including grocery stores, convenience stores, shops, department stores and service stations. The ordinance would not apply to restaurants and food service establishments.

Ryan said while the ordinance would apply to the Oxford Market, it would not apply to the deli within the market.

“So the sandwiches, subs, things like that that would be wrapped in plastic would continue to be in plastic,” she said.

During the public hearing, some local business owners and employees expressed their concerns with the proposed ordinance. Graham Norbury, the general manager at Safe Harbor Oxford, said that while this may be a national issue, he doesn’t observe plastic bags being littered often in Oxford.

“Why is restricting a retailer’s right to choose the best delivery mechanism for their products, why is that something that the commissioners feel necessary?” he asked.

Oxford Vintage & Trade owner Barbara Ranson said in her six years of being in business in Oxford, she has always used paper bags. She said she doesn’t understand why the commissioners are looking at this legislation when “it may or may not target three very small businesses.”

“So it seems to me (like) legislation looking for a problem, and I don’t understand why we would spend one minute on this,” she said, receiving some applause from residents in the audience.

Ranson also brought up a part of the ordinance that would require retail establishments to charge a 10 cent fee — which the retail establishment would keep — for each paper bag it hands out to customers. She said that having to charge and keep track of that would take up time and labor and would just be another thing that the town needs to enforce.

“And who’s going to do that?” she asked. “Because we already have ordinances that are not enforced because we don’t have anybody to do them.”

Resident David Donovan, who is in support of the ordinance, acknowledged that it won’t solve the global problem.

“But if every one of us in every little town stands up and does their share, you do solve a problem,” he said.

Resident Rose Donovan said she considers this to be a “common sense ordinance.” She said this is a way to stop using plastic bags “where we can.”

Commissioner Katrina Greer said she feels passionately about banning plastic, but Oxford is facing a lot of other important issues right now.

“So I would like to find a way forward with this. But perhaps just not now,” she said, adding that there is more commissioners should consider regarding the ordinance.

Before the commissioners voted unanimously to table the ordinance, Ryan brought up the idea of giving retail establishments an incentive to not use plastic bags, rather than banning them. She said the commissioners could consider a tax incentive, among other possible incentives.

Commission President Norm Bell said they should bring all of these ideas to the table before they make a decision.