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Oakland Park Passes Plastic Straw Ban

 

At the October 2, 2019 Commission meeting an ordinance to prohibit  the sale or distribution of plastic straws in Oakland Park was brought before City Commissioners for a first reading. The City Commission passed the ordinance by a vote of 4-1.  Commissioners Bolin, Carn, Lonergan and Vice Mayor Sparks voted in favor of the ban. Mayor Guevrekian voted against it.  

At last night’s Commission meeting the ordinance passed on second reading by a vote of 4-1. Commissioners Bolin, Carn, Lonergan and Vice Mayor Sparks voted for the ban and Mayor Guevrekian voted against it. 

The approval of the vote on second reading made the plastic straw ban in Oakland Park official as of October 16, 2019.

Stainless steel straws are an affordable alternative to single use plastic straws.

What the Prohibition of Sale or Distribution of Plastic Straws Ordinance States

The ordinance states  “That Chapter 8 entitled “Miscellaneous Offenses and Provisions,” 8 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Oakland Park, Florida is amended by creating Article IX, entitled “Prohibition of Sale or Distribution of Plastic Straws”. 

The Article contains four sections, 8-135, 8-136, 8-137, and 8-138.

The first section 8-135 provides for definitions relating to the ordinance. The second section, Section 8-136 states “(1) A Plastic Straw shall not be sold or distributed within the City of Oakland Park in or by any commercial establishment or at any City Facility or City Property or by any  Special Event Permittee”. Section 8-136 continues by describing exceptions to the prohibition.

Stainless steel straw or no straw at all!

Section 8-137 details a public education campaign regarding the plastic straw ban. “Following adoption of this Section and for a period of six (6) months, the City shall engage in public education efforts deemed appropriate by the City to inform commercial establishments of the provisions of this Section and to provide assistance  in identifying alternatives to Plastic Straws”.

After 6 months of this public education efforts commercial establishments are to cease providing plastic straws. After this 6 month grace period code enforcement officers can begin enforcing the ban by fining establishments. 

Section 8-138 provides for enforcement and penalties. Section 8-138 states that “(1) Commencing one (1) year after the adoption of this Ordinance, the City’s Code  Compliance Officer(s) shall commence enforcement violations of this Section 8-138. (2)Penalties for violations of the provisions shall be considered as a Class III violation 14 as set forth in Section 24-234 of the City’s Code of Ordinances“. A Class III violation fine is $100 for the first offense, and $300 for repeat violations.

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*LivingInOaklandPark.com is an independent publication, not affiliated with the City of Oakland Park.

Desiree Avila

EDITOR, PUBLISHER, WRITER, PHOTOGRAPHER, REALTOR®

Désirée Ávila has called Oakland Park her home for over 33 years. In addition to publishing LivingInOaklandPark.com, Désirée has been featured in print publications, locally and abroad. Désirée was an award winning teacher for 10 years and has a doctoral level education in Educational Technology. She is currently a licensed Florida Realtor® and is committed to a high-level of professionalism.

Désirée consistently professionally develops herself and has earned several different professional designations and certifications in real estate including the PSA, e-Pro, AHWD, SRS, ABR, and SFR. She was also awarded the C2EX, Commitment to Excellence award by the National Association for Realtors (NAR). This award is given to Realtors® that distinguish themselves for their commitment to excellence in the real estate industry.

She is esteemed by her real estate colleagues and has consistently received 5 star reviews from her clients. Her philosophy about real estate is that being a Realtor® is a way of teaching and helping people, and in the process a real estate transaction may occur, that is to say her foremost priority is and has always been about helping others.

She is dedicated to her hometown of Oakland Park and works consistently on building and fostering a strong community. She is passionate about photography and loves to read books about history ; the more detail the better! In addition to English, Désirée is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian.

Check out her real estate websites:
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OaklandParkRealEstateAgent.com
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Visit her real estate blog at www.DesireeRealtor.com

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