On second thought
Councilman Vince Gardina will get his plastic bag study even though his council colleagues killed his resolution on Monday night.
Gardina’s resolution asked the county auditor to determine whether there was an action the county could take to encourage businesses and consumers to stop using plastic shopping bags.
“I consider plastic bags to be a major environmental menace not only to Baltimore County but throughout the country and throughout the world,” Gardina said during the council’s Sept. 15 meeting. “So I consider it to be a priority.”
Most of his colleagues disagreed.
“I’m offended, Mr. Gardina, that you would take the time of the council to bring a matter of this kind before us. It’s not worthy of our time and consideration,” said Councilman Bryan McIntire, who represents the 3rd District, which includes much of northern Baltimore County. 
including Parkton, Cockeysville and Kingsville. “There’s nothing we are going to do here tonight that couldn’t have been accomplished through a telephone call to the auditor’s office or an interoffice memo if you wanted a memorandum in writing of it.
“It had nothing to do with you getting attention?” McIntire asked.
The council then voted 5-2 to kill the resolution with only Gardina and Councilman John Olszewski Sr. supporting the measure.
But Gardina, whose 5th District includes much of Towson and Perry Hall, would not be denied.
After the meeting, he came up to me and said, “I wrote the auditor a letter on a piece of yellow legal paper, in pencil, requesting the study.”
There’s no timeline for its completion, but Gardina said he’s in no hurry.