DATE: August 20, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Water Utilities Department
TITLE: UPDATE ON MARINE DEBRIS REDUCTION ORDINANCE
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council receive an update on the Marine Debris Reduction Ordinance.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On August 23, 2023, the City Council approved and adopted the Marine Debris Reduction Ordinance (MDRO), an ordinance aimed at reducing marine debris by expanding on the State’s current single-use plastic bag ban and adding a prohibition on polystyrene foam (e.g., Styrofoam) sales in the City of Oceanside (Ordinance 23-OR0645-1). Key effective dates of the ordinance include the July 1, 2024, prohibition of polystyrene foam products, and the January 1, 2025, prohibition of single-use carryout bags, where businesses may provide a reusable bag or recyclable paper bag for at least a 10-cent charge.
The City contracted with The Oceanside Chamber of Commerce and MainStreet Oceanside to conduct education and outreach to the business community, including:
• engaging stakeholders,
• magazine and newsletter articles,
• in-person and online educational workshops,
• door-to-door outreach and technical assistance,
• MDRO messaging at two informational kiosks,
• distributing educational flyers at the weekly Farmer’s Market and via the Downtown Ambassador Program,
• messaging via social media.
On January 8, 2025, staff provided an update to City Council regarding the implementation of the MDRO and the related education and outreach provided to businesses. Staff reported ten public complaints received at that time and did not recommend an additional level of enforcement based on these numbers. At the time of the update, City Council directed staff to evaluate the public requests made, implement the reasonable actions and provide an update in August. Since the January 8, 2025 update, City staff continues to educate businesses on the Ordinance through Green Oceanside and existing partnerships via print and electronic media. Non-compliance is addressed on a complaint-received basis, with an education-first approach, where businesses are educated on the requirements of the ordinance and offered technical assistance. Staff determined that creating a specific MDRO complaint tab in the My Oceanside application is not warranted as complaints have been received and routed appropriately. Additionally, there have been 21 complaints received to date with only four cases currently open. The remaining cases have been closed with businesses in compliance. The four businesses in question have been contacted and additional enforcement action has not been necessary.
Below is a summary of continued outreach strategies:
• City staff continues to engage stakeholders to better understand and implement the Ordinance.
• Distribution of MDRO outreach materials to affected businesses continues during recycling technical assistance visits by Waste Management and edible food recovery technical assistance visits by the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation.
• Continued messaging is provided to businesses via social media and publications. This includes outreach through quarterly social media posts and publications via Green Oceanside and Chamber of Commerce. Osider bimonthly publications; distribution of flyers to Resource Centers, City Hall and City Library.
• MDRO messaging shared at two informational kiosks on Pier View Way and by the Oceanside Transit Center.
• Outreach materials made available online including a business poster, business education notice, PowerPoint presentation, and FAQs.
• Magazine and newsletter articles and KOCT video segments to continue promoting the ordinance and awareness of the requirements.
• Messaging to visitors continues via the Visit Oceanside’s 2025 Visitor Guide and a table tent created and distributed to vacation rental units in partnership with Visit Oceanside.
Collectively, staff believes these efforts have been effective in ensuring compliance with the new requirements and will return to Council should further action be needed.
FISCAL IMPACT
The information provided in this report is for informational purposes only and does not have any associated fiscal impact.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
Does not apply.
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Prepared by: Ken Prue, Zero Waste Program Manager
Reviewed by: Michael Gossman, Assistant City Manager
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager