A week after the Oak Bluffs select board agreed to move forward with putting a proposed nip bottle ban in front of town voters at its upcoming annual town meeting, Edgartown officials decided to follow suit.
The Edgartown select board voted unanimously Tuesday to add an article to the annual town meeting warrant for the spring, which, like Oak Bluffs, would potentially restrict the sale of liquor bottles under 100mL from being sold in town if voted for by Edgartown residents.
“In light of Oak Bluffs having a nip bottle ban that they’re going to be proposing for their town meeting,” Edgartown town administrator James Hagerty said, “I think it would put us in a disadvantageous position if they had a bottle ban and we didn’t.”
Not only would Edgartown likely see an increase in bottle litter if the town didn’t support the ban, Hagerty said, but environmentally, “it’s the right thing to do at this point.” He noted that he hasn’t heard any public comment suggesting opposition to banning the mini bottles; “I think it’s been the exact opposite,” he said.
“I think it’s a great suggestion,” select board member Arthur Smadback said, and motioned to allow Hagerty to draft the necessary warrant article. “We’ll let the town meeting decide,” he said.
