Plastics and their environmental impact was the theme of the Sunnyvale City Council’s most recent meeting.
The council discussed two items at its Sept. 11 meeting. The first was a study session on single-use plastics and the plan to eliminate them, while the second drudged up a topic from last month regarding the benefits of grass as opposed to turf.
In addition to studying turf, the council broadened the scope of work to include an assessment of its grass fields. That study will require an additional $50,000, but the council felt it was worthwhile.
Much of the debate between opponents and proponents of turf circled around whether its environmental and health impacts offset its benefits, most notable that it can be used year-round and requires less maintenance.
At least a portion of the study of grass fields will determine what the city can do to make them more viable. A lengthy back-and-forth at the previous meeting saw the two sides both accusing the other of acting as a mouthpiece for special interests — be it environmental groups or athletic leagues.
Susan Hinton, with the environmental group Sierra Club, has been firm in her opposition to using turf. She said the council should look into grass specifically bred for use on athletic fields.
“We have heard very different descriptions of athlete’s experiences when athletes speak on their own behalf as opposed to when they are standing next to a league leader,” she said.
Hinton applauded the council’s effort to drill down into the facts and urged them to ensure that any studies are diligent in their citations.
Council Member Richard Mehlinger, one of the two council members who voted against delaying the ban on turf, agreed. He said he would like “dissertation rules” to apply to information uncovered during the studies, adding that sources need to be “gold-plated and copper-bottomed.” He was confident the city could provide the same level of service with grass fields without the need for turf.
“Making sure the grass fields are meeting the needs of our community is really important,” he said. “I believe it can be done.”
Only a handful of public commenters opined on the item, all of whom supported the study to better understand the state of the city’s grass fields.
The study will take roughly two years. The council approved the increase to the scope of work unanimously.
Single-Use Plastics Program Likely to Continue
On a similar note, city officials believe the city can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, at least when it comes to incentivizing businesses to eliminate single-use plastics.
While the city is trying to get restaurants to replace plasticware with reusable dinnerware, city employees believe Sunnyvale can get the same result without a mandate. During a study session Tuesday, Bailey Hall, environmental programs specialist, told the council that 17% of what goes into the dump is plastic, roughly 90% of which is not recyclable.
“In the waste world, weight and volume are two incredibly different things, so 17% by weight of light fluffy plastic is a huge amount volume-wise,” Hall said.
The study session was an update on a survey and pilot program designed to reduce single-use plastics, which are often cutlery, cups and takeout containers offered for to-go orders. A survey of 461 Sunnyvale businesses — ranging from fast food restaurants to boba shops to food trucks — revealed that 31% of businesses offer only single-use plastics.
While businesses surveyed like the idea of reducing plastics because it is better for presentation and reduces waste, Hall said space and the cost of paying dishwashers were barriers. The pilot program provided $300 micro-grants to buy reusable dinnerware for 19 businesses that participated.
Shikha Gupta, solid waste programs division manager, said her department is recommending continuing the pilot program for another three years but isn’t ready to introduce an ordinance requiring the elimination of single-use plastics. Based on information from neighboring cities that have put such an ordinance in place, she said enforcement is a “huge” challenge.
By amping up the pilot program to include the 195 restaurants that are using plastics, Gupta said the city will likely be able to make strides in this arena. Increasing the micro-grant amount to up to $500 and shifting catering for city-sponsored events and internal meetings will cost $246,000 for the three-year program. That money is within the already-approved budget.
Council Member Russ Melton said having an ordinance that is “spinning its wheels, creating anxiety and nervousness” just leaves people unclear as to how to follow the rules.
“Do not pass an ordinance in your city if you cannot enforce it or you don’t intend to enforce it,” Melton said. “The thing you see in, some people call them progressive or liberal [cities] or whatever name you want to ascribe to it, the thought process is ‘yeah baby, let’s pass an ordinance, then, somehow, by magic, the desired outcome will come to place.’”
The council supported an effort to identify businesses that encourage customers to bring their own containers. A citizen-initiated, city-endorsed website, siliconvalleyreduces.org, aims to provide just such a resource.
Consent Calendar Spending
The council approved the following spending in one motion via the consent calendar:
- A $350,100 one-year extension to a contract with Western Digital for semiconductor training and employment services.
- A $3.1 million contract with Guerra Construction Group for the Corn Palace Park.
- A three-year $500,000 contract with Central Marin Sanitation Agency for the disposal of source-separated residential and commercial organic waste from the Sunnyvale SMaRT Station for the Department of Environmental Services.
- Two five-year purchase agreements totaling $990,112 with Escape Velocity Holdings for network firewall and storage systems upgrades.
- A $150,000 amendment to a purchase agreement with W.W. Grainger, Inc. for commercial and industrial supplies. New contract amount: $400,000.
Council Member Alysa Cisneros was absent.
The council meets again at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave. in Sunnyvale.
To submit public comments ahead of the meeting, visit http://Sunnyvale.ca.gov/PublicComments; Meeting online link: https://sunnyvale-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/96111580540; meeting call-in telephone number: 833-548-0276, meeting ID: 961 1158 0540.
