The city of Mountlake Terrace will no longer allow the sale of plastic water bottles within city facilities, part of a move toward a greener City Hall.
City council members agreed June 16 to a staff proposal to ban the sale of plastic water bottles. The intention behind the ban is to forbid the use of city funds for the purchase of bottled water, said city manager John Caulfield. In addition to the bottled water ban, non emergency response city vehicles will not be allowed to idle for more than three minutes.
“I think it’s important for leaders in city government to take a leadership position” he said.
The ban does not affect the sale of bottled water at area grocery stores, restaurants or other retail sites.
Caulfield said the ban helps reduce landfill waste and he called the city’s tap water, an “excellent, clean resource.” The city gets its tap water from the Alderwood Water District, which contracts with the city of Everett to provide drinking water in Mountlake Terrace and other Snohomish County areas.
Mountlake Terrace has encouraged sustainability, a word that describes an emphasis toward awareness of impacts on the environment, for many years, Caulfield said, citing the city’s storm water standards, water conservation program and green traffic lights as examples.
This year, city-hired consultants are looking into how the city can blend economic vitalilty with sustainability. The city has a sustainability plan in place. The first draft of its Sustainability Strategy will be ready for consideration by the council in July.
Already, the City has adopted a new sidewalk investment plan and strict stormwater standards, added energy upgrades at its regional swimming pool, and is advocating for regional transit investments to reduce pollution and congestion.
Other ideas being considered include attracting clean technology businesses, phasing in replacement of fleet vehicles with hybrids or other fuel-efficient models, providing parks and open space, and encouraging “green buildings” that save on energy and reduce stormwater run-off.
“It gets back to what is Mountlake Terrace,” Caulfield said. “This communityhas always been known as a city of parks and being concernedabou its environment. This is just building upon that.”
More information about the Sustainability Strategy project is available on the City’s webpage at www.cityofmlt.com/sustain, or at 425 -744-6266
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