Kingston CAC endorses Climate Smart packaging-reduction resolution for transmission to council

The Kingston Conservation Advisory Council voted to endorse a Climate Smart resolution urging state-level action on packaging reduction and to ask the council president to resubmit the proposal to the common council.

The motion, proposed at the meeting, asked that the CAC "endorse the Climate Smart resolution" and request that city leadership place the matter on a future common council agenda for consideration and possible support. The motion was seconded and approved by the council.

Julie Noble summarized recent state-level activity and the difficulty of advancing the bill through the Assembly; she noted that while the Senate had passed similar language previously, the Assembly had not. The CAC discussed whether to send a letter of support directly to state representatives and whether that would imply speaking for the city; members worried about crossing governance lanes because CAC members are mayoral appointees.

"It's just a matter of what lane that just the CAC," one member said, noting the group’s advisory role.

After debate, the CAC adopted a measured approach: endorse the Climate Smart resolution and ask staff to place the item before the common council president for the council’s consideration, rather than sending a direct legislative advocacy letter on behalf of the city without council backing.

Members said individual commissioners may also send personal comments to legislators or use the Beyond Plastics tool to submit individual letters, but the CAC’s action was to endorse and refer the resolution up the municipal governance chain.