Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Plastic Bags topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges McHenry to ban single-use plastic bags, cites Fox River pollution and neighboring bans
Summary
A resident urged the council to begin drafting a local ban on single-use plastic bags, citing litter in the Fox River and examples from nearby communities; no council action was taken during the public-comment period.
Gretchen Gilmore of 810 North Green Street told the council during public comment that single-use plastic bags are littering McHenry’s Riverwalk, the Fox River and the Chain O’Lakes and urged the council to start drafting a ban. “The solution is clear, simple, and proven,” Gilmore said, citing Evanston, Northbrook, Oak Park, Edwardsville and Woodstock as nearby communities that have enacted bans or taxes.
Gilmore described personal behavioral changes—keeping reusable bags in her car—and said businesses and residents adjust quickly after municipal bans. She asked the council to “begin the process of drafting and adopting a ban.” The comment was delivered as a public-comment item; the council did not act on a plastic-bag ban at the Sept. 15 meeting and staff did not announce any next steps on the record.
A staff member later noted the specific item related to plastic bags was on the agenda and would be addressed when the agenda item appeared; the public-comment portion did not produce a formal proposal or motion at the meeting.
If councilors choose to pursue a ban, the transcript shows residents expect staff to evaluate legal authority, compliance mechanisms and enforcement, and to review other Illinois municipalities’ approaches before drafting an ordinance.
