The Daily Hustle: 5/12/10

You catch some interesting stuff at City Hall, but a day-glo mountain of plastic bags has to top the list. Yesterday, a coalition called for the city to ban the bags outright.

… The Central Texas Zero Waste Alliance held a press conference yesterday at City Hall calling on the city to ban the use of disposable plastic bags at local retailers. Over a year ago, the city coordinated a volunteer program with local sellers to step up their recycling of the nettlesome sacks, which due to their petrochemical composition and propensity for flight, are a blight to the environment. However, CTZWA officals – including enviro Robin Schneider, and, interestingly, Texas Disposal Systems' Bob Gregory (last seen pitching plans for a Materials Recovery Facility to the city), say the plan hasn't worked, and a ban is needed. Moreover, they point to the City of Brownsville's recent ban on point-of-purchase plastic bags to demonstrate such a law's tenable. And if that wasn't enough, they hauled in the Jodorowsky-esque psychedelic mountain of bags pictured to prove their point.

… Yesterday also saw the release of Cap Metro's CEO finalists, which pointedly did not include acting head Doug Allen. Lee Nichols has the story here.

What the hell else is happening?

On the city calendar: The Capital Metro Board's Finance/Audit Committee meets at the Capital Metro Offices, 2910 E. 5th. 11:45am, to discuss their recent Sunset report and more.

The Waller Creek Citizen Advisory Committee's Implementation subcommittee convenes in the conference room at the One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs. 11:30am, to talk funding strategies.

The Animal Advisory Commission is happening at the Waller Creek Plaza, 625 E. 10th. 6pm. They'll discuss a possible item banning sales of companion animals.

The Water and Wastewater Commission meets at Waller Creek Plaza., room 104, 6pm. They'll decide whether to recommend eight construction contracts to the council.

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