CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

NB Council Delays Decision on Committee Study of Plastic Bag Ban

The Newport Beach City Council this week delayed a decision about whether to ask the Environmental Quality Affairs Committee to study a citywide ban on single-use plastic bags.

Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Gardner asked Council members for their input after Newport Harbor High School students made the request at the last EQAC meeting, Gardner said at Tuesday’s Council meeting.

Councilman Rush Hill objected, saying that EQAC should be focused on the Banning Ranch environmental impact report. City Manager Dave Kiff also reminded the Council members that in April, they voted not to pursue a plastic bag ban — one of several items that Kiff asked the Council to consider as part of an effort to prioritize staff resources; read our story here.

The city attorney suggested that the topic be placed on a future agenda, so the Council members’ discussion ended. The topic was not on the Tuesday agenda, so further discussion could have been in violation of the Brown Act.

Gardner said that local consideration of a single-use plastic ban bag seemed unnecessary when the state was considering a similar plan. The state ban fizzled, making a local review something to reconsider, she said.

“I told EQAC I would bring it up,” she said.

Gardner also asked about how city staff planned to alert people about a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, which will go into effect Nov. 11. Kiff said a public awareness campaign would begin in October.

The Council passed the ban in March; read more here. The ordinance doesn’t apply to commercial areas, and organized homeowners association groups can opt out; read the complete ordinance here.

Mayor Mike Henn also announced that a Reagan sculpture dedication ceremony would take place at 1 p.m. Oct. 9 in Bonita Canyon Sports Park. The sculpture stirred the community for months, beginning when Councilman Keith Curry first suggested naming a park after Reagan last October; read our story here. Plans to create a privately funded sculpture of Reagan also drew criticism. The City Council voted to approve the sculpture in February; read our story here.