The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday is set to consider two ordinances aimed at reducing plastic waste at retail checkouts and tightening rules on where oversized vehicles can park on city streets.
Both items are scheduled for introduction and first reading only, with final action expected at later meetings.
Plastic bag changes
Council members will consider amendments to the city’s plastic bag ordinance to bring Watsonville’s municipal code into compliance with a new state law that took effect Jan. 1.
California Senate Bill 1053 requires most retail stores—including grocery stores, convenience stores, food marts and pharmacies—to eliminate plastic carryout bags at checkout and charge a minimum 10-cent fee for recycled paper bags. The law also raises recycled-content standards for paper bags beginning in 2028.
Under the proposed ordinance, Watsonville would fully prohibit plastic carryout bags at checkout and keep its existing 25-cent fee for recycled paper bags, rather than lowering it to the state minimum. City staff said local governments are allowed to adopt standards stricter than state law.
The proposal would also update the city’s definitions of reusable and single-use bags. Staff said some retailers have complied with earlier rules by offering thicker plastic bags that technically qualify as reusable but are rarely reused and are not recyclable.
Certain bags would remain exempt, including produce bags, bags used for meat or bulk items before checkout, small paper bags for pharmacy purchases or greeting cards, and bags for wet or frozen items. Restaurants would be allowed to provide recycled paper bags for takeout orders at no charge.
By Jan. 1, 2028, retailers would also be required to ensure recycled paper bags contain at least 50% post-consumer recycled content, up from the current 40%.
City officials said Watsonville is coordinating with Santa Cruz County and neighboring cities to align bag rules regionally and reduce confusion for shoppers and businesses.
Oversized vehicle parking
The council will also review a proposed ordinance creating new restrictions on the parking of oversized vehicles and trailers on public streets and city-owned property.
Police and public works officials say the city receives frequent complaints about large vehicles obstructing sightlines, blocking access to streets and creating safety hazards at intersections and crosswalks. Current enforcement relies largely on 72-hour parking limits, which staff said have been ineffective because vehicles are often moved short distances to avoid citations.
The proposed ordinance would prohibit parking oversized vehicles—defined by height, width, length or weight—on public streets, alleys and city parking lots, with several exemptions. Those include vehicles actively loading or unloading, service vehicles working on nearby properties, emergency situations, government and utility vehicles, wheelchair-accessible vans, permitted special-event vehicles and recreational vehicles parked at Pinto Lake City Park with a valid reservation.
Vehicles in violation could be cited, towed or both, with a required 24-hour notice posted before towing. The city would also install about 25 signs at major entry points to notify drivers of the restrictions.
Staff estimate the signage would cost about $6,250, funded through gas tax revenue.
The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Watsonville City Council Chambers on the fourth floor of the Civic Plaza at 275 Main St. in Watsonville. For information, click here.
Doesn’t Watsonville city council have better things to do like spending millions on a coffee shop for their employees on top floor of city hall while there already is a coffee shop right across the street from it? Who elects these idiots that are blowing money that should be used elsewhere?