First in a series. 

One main storyline to emerge from the City Council’s polystyrene ban two nights ago – that ended at 1:12 Tuesday morning — is the sheer, almost overwhelming, complexity of the ban.

“This is much more complex than just saying ‘Let’s do a ban,’ and suddenly the world will be better,” said Mayor Jim Clarke.

The distance required by numerous procedural steps and implementation of assorted restrictions and prohibitions is estimated to be deep into next year.

Mr. Clarke acknowledged that environmentalists won almost every change they sought in outlawing or narrowing usage of plastic materials that break down into instant small-piece litter that clutters and harms the atmosphere, dry and wet.

“The devil is in the details,” said Mr. Clarke. “We took votes on different aspects related to the ban, from ‘A’ through ‘K.’”

Now the work begins.

“Staff has to draft all of this up into an ordinance, bring it back to Council for a first reading. “Then we will see what the specifics of the impact will be,” said Mr. Clarke.

“A lot of questions still need to be answered, like

• “Enforcement when there are violations – how do you go about doing that?
• “Issues of hardship. How do you have to prove that?
• “Phase-in period,
• “Compliance.”

The next Council meeting is nearly a month away, Monday Jan. 9, and Mayor Clarke does expect the broad new ordinance to be ready for a vote.

(To be continued)