SACO — The city of Saco may decide to take some more time to develop a proposal for an ordinance to ban single-use plastic bags.

Saco began last month discussing a proposal to ban single-use plastic bags at grocery stores to encourage shoppers to use reusable grocery bags.

The City Council was scheduled to vote on the proposal Dec. 19, but during a discussion at Monday night’s workshop, there was a sense that many of the council members would like to take some more time to fine tune an ordinance.

Tuesday night it was clear there were still many details to fine tune, such as if the council wanted the proposed bag ban to apply not just to grocery stores, but to other stores as well. Other questions that still arose was how to define reusable grocery bags and if the city wanted them to be of a certain weight of plastic.

“You can see there’s a lot to think about,” said Saco Mayor Roland “Ron” Michaud.

Councilor Alan Minthorn said he had talked to a representative from a company that makes biodegradable plastic bags and he suggested inviting someone from the company speak to the city council about the product.

He also said he had heard there were some stores concerned with their cashiers and baggers touching reusable shopping bags that may have been contaminated and now have bacteria on them.

“I think we have the ability if we wait a couple of weeks, and really work on this, to put forth a really nice ordinance that will then be copied by everyone else, because we were so forward thinking,” said Minthorn. “I think it just needs a little more time.”

Councilor William Doyle said he thought a committee should be formed to draft a proposed ordinance that could be brought back to the council in a few months.

Councilor Kevin Roche said he would like the council to meet with the biodegradable bag vendor in January and then with Biddeford City Councilors at a scheduled joint council meeting Jan. 31 before coming to a final vote on a plastic bag ordinance.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].