Required recycling plan OK'd
April 14, 2010, 03:41 AM By Michelle Durand
Daily Journal Staff
San Carlos business owners will be required to recycle by next year under an ordinance approved by the City Council on Monday.
The council voted 4 to
1 - with Councilman Matt Grocott dissenting - in favor of an ordinance that begins voluntary compliance July 1 and mandatory compliance Jan. 1, 2011, said Assistant City Manager Brian Moura.
Grocott said his opposition to the ordinance is easy to explain.
"One word: Mandatory," Grocott said.
Grocott said he favors recycling but would rather encourage residents through means other than a mandate carrying an enforcement element.
San Carlos and the city of San Mateo separately considered local regulations on commercial recycling to get ahead of anticipated rule by the state. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, or Assembly Bill 32, includes proposals by the California Air Resources Board to begin requiring mandatory commercial business recycling programs in January 2011.
What those mandates will be, including possible sanctions or fines for non-compliance, is unknown. Setting up local ordinances could protect cities from more Draconian state rules. If the state imposes fines, it would also likely collect the revenue and could also require cities to provide enforcement without funding the work.
Grocott said he would hope to act ahead of the state but again cannot endorse a plan that punishes businesses for noncompliance.
"I just don't think its the way to go about business relative to trash and recycling. We don't need to make it criminal," Grocott said.
The San Carlos pilot program starts with six months of voluntary compliance followed by a two-year ramp-up period in which different categories - organics and food scraps, for example - are added every six months.
The original proposal actually called for a four-year phase-in but some council members and interested parties like the chamber and San Carlos Green pushed for speed.
Enforcement includes courtesy warnings followed by fines of $100 to $500 for the third violation and beyond. Accounts of less than two cubic yards per week of solid waste service would be exempt.
In anticipation of San Carlos and San Mateo trying out mandatory recycling, the cities and SBWMA held a series of public workshops to educate residents and gather response.
Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com
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