Foam food container ban under consideration in Lane County
The Lane Board of County Commissioners are discussing the possibility of pursuing a countywide ban on polystyrene food containers, otherwise known as Styrofoam.
Posted: Mar 4, 2021 1:38 PM
Updated: Mar 24, 2021 11:47 AM
Posted By: Chris Lueneburg
LANE COUNTY, Ore. The Lane Board of County Commissioners discussed the possibility of pursuing a countywide ban on polystyrene food containers, commonly known as styrofoam, on Tuesday.
The use of the plastic, which is often used as single-use takeout containers at restaurants, has been criticized as a common source of litter that is long-lasting and difficult to recycle. Cities like Eugene, Florence and Portland have already banned food providers from using foam.
CAHOOTS Bill in House COVID-19 Relief Package
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Surrounded by CAHOOTS staff and local and state politicians, Sen. Ron Wyden announced he had re-introduced a mental health bill that would increase federal money for social services like the Eugene agency around the country. For Wyden, the work that CAHOOTS does is personal.
“My brother was schizophrenic,” Wyden said at the Feb. 19 event. “In our family, night after night after night, year after year after year, we went to bed worried that my brother, Jeff, was going to hurt himself or hurt somebody else.”
Wyden’s brother’s schizophrenia, he added, is what sparked his interest in addressing the U.S.’s mental health system.
If you have a spare bedroom, you could be part of the solution to Oregon’s housing crisis.
Home Share Oregon brings homeowners with empty rooms together with potential renters. The program uses an online matchmaking platform to let homeowners and renters vet each other to fill empty bedrooms.
The program and its supporters say it’s a way to chip away at the low supply of housing in the state.
Started in 2019 and associated with the Portland-based Oregon Harbor of Hope, Home Share has the backing of the Oregon Legislature, which created a pilot property tax abatement incentive for homeowners during the 2019 legislative session but only if county governments approve.
Credit Lane County & Better Housing Together
Lane County Board of County Commissioners approved an affordable housing action plan conducted by Better Housing Together on Wednesday. The goal is to increase housing options and reduce the risk of homelessness.
The plan includes a series of recommendations like loan programs, leveraging land for housing, and focusing on building smaller homes. Also suggested is partnering with faith-based groups in the area and local colleges and universities.
Commissioner Jay Bozievich voted against the measure citing a lack of support for the private sector.
“Where [are] the actions to. remove permit requirements, to make it easier to construct, to lower the infrastructure requirements in a subdivision?” Bozievich continued, ”It s incredible how much more expensive it is before you ever even build a foundation to build a housing unit in Lane County and in Oregon.”
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