A. A retail store or food store shall remit to the Town sixty percent (60%) of the disposable bag fees collected.
B. Disposable bag fees remitted to the Town shall only be used for expenditures intended to mitigate the effects of disposable bags, including without limitation the following:
1. Administrative costs associated with developing and implementing the disposable bag fee program.
2. Administrative costs associated with the following Town activities:
a. Providing reusable carryout bags to residents and visitors;
b. Educating residents, businesses, and visitors about the impacts of disposable bags on the Town's environmental health, the importance of reducing the number of disposable bags that enter the waste stream, and the expenses associated with mitigating the effects of disposable bag use on the Town's drainage system, transportation system, wildlife, and environment;
c. Funding programs and developing infrastructure that allows the Town to reduce waste associated with disposable bag use;
d. Contributing funds to the Town's pay as you throw trash and recycling program known as "The Drop";
e. Purchasing and installing equipment designed to minimize disposable bag pollution, including without limitation recycling containers and waste receptacles for disposable bags;
f. Funding community cleanup events or other activities designed to reduce waste associated with disposable bags;
g. Maintaining a public website designed to educate residents on the progress of waste reduction efforts associated with disposable bags; and
h. Funding other sustainability initiatives.
C. No disposable bag fees may be used for general government purposes.
D. A retail store or food store may retain forty percent (40%) of the disposable bag fees collected (the "retained percent"). The retained percent will not be classified as revenue for the purpose of calculating Sales Tax. The retained percent may only be used by the retail store or food store for the following:
1. Providing educational information to customers about the disposable bag fee;
2. Developing and displaying signage required by section 3-8-4 of this chapter;
3. Training staff members in the implementation or administration of the disposable bag fee;
4. Improving or altering infrastructure to allow for the implementation, collection, administration, of the fee or to increase disposable bag recycling;
5. Collecting, accounting for, or remitting the disposable bag fee to the Town; or
6. Developing and displaying signage to inform consumers about the disposable bag fee, encourage the use of reusable bags or promote recycling of disposable bags. (Ord. 520, Series of 2019)