Will Lacey City Council vote to suspend 5-cent bag fee during coronavirus outbreak?
After learning that some stores in Lacey are no longer allowing people to use their own shopping bags because of concerns about germs, Mayor Andy Ryder suggested to Lacey City Council Thursday night they suspend the 5-cent fee the city requires stores to charge for paper bags.
That charge stems from plastic bag bans that were passed in Lacey and other Thurston County jurisdictions a few years ago.
Ryder told the council he only wants to suspend the fee during the current coronavirus outbreak. “I’m just trying to get through this time,” he said.
But councilman Lenny Greenstein, who has never been a fan of the plastic bag ban, quickly made a motion to remove the 5-cent charge permanently — a move that, if approved, would mean the council would have to vote at a later date to re-establish the fee, City Attorney Dave Schneider said.
Greenstein was ready to vote, but Deputy Mayor Cynthia Pratt wanted to know what would happen to those grocery stores that still want to charge the fee.
Under Greenstein’s motion, the grocery store could still charge the fee, but just wouldn’t be required to charge it, he said.
Greenstein’s motion was narrowly defeated, 4 to 3. Lacey City Council is still set to hear a resolution next week on temporarily suspending the 5-cent bag fee.
The city of Olympia has already waived the fee retailers are required to charge customers for use of paper bags. Offering free paper bags will help reduce the level of contact store workers have with reusable bags brought in from customers’ homes, The Olympian reported Wednesday.
The bag fee capped what was a long City Council work session on a number of coronavirus-related matters.
Mayor Ryder reminded the council about the importance of reassuring their constituents in a crisis.
“We’re here, we have your back, and we’re listening,” he said.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
