Blackfoot plastic and paper bag ban pushed aside

The Blackfoot City Council was set to revisit a high school senior’s proposal to ban plastic and paper bags Tuesday night, but instead it was skipped over on the agenda.

At a city council meeting Feb. 3, Hayley Lemon presented her proposal, asking the council to consider banning paper and plastic bags, like California and Hawaii. Lemon, a senior at Snake River High School, said the proposal is part of her senior project.

In the comments of past articles, the 16-year-old girl has been called a “leftist high schooler” who is “pushing sensational Californian beliefs” on Blackfoot. Tuesday night, the council skipped the item on the agenda. Later, the council only briefly mentioned the item when it was remembered. Lemon said her proposal is serious, but it’s not being treated that way.

“I feel like they could have addressed it 40 minutes ago, or at least contacted me and told me they weren’t going to go over it,” Lemon said. “It’s kind of disappointing, I was hoping for a decision tonight.”

Another issue the council discussed Tuesday night was keeping utilities in the name of landlords rather than the tenant. The measure is meant to keep the city from losing money. Dozens showed up to the public hearing to share alternatives such as raising the deposit amount for tenants and holding that deposit until the tenant moves.

Landlord Bob German said he shouldn’t have to do the city’s business.

“Why do I get to work for the city for free?” German asked. “There’s no upside for me. I can lose money if I don’t get those bills collected, but I can’t make any money.”

The council didn’t make a decision.