A town ban on single-use plastic straws may soon become a reality in Palm Beach.

Town staff is advising officials to move swiftly because of concern the Florida Legislature may pass a law pre-empting municipalities from enacting laws banning or restricting the use of the straws.

The legislature has in the past adopted legislation preventing local governments from banning plastic bags and polystyrene containers. In those cases, municipalities with laws already in effect, such as Miami Beach, were “grandfathered” in.

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Deputy Town Manager Jay Boodheshwar, in a March 31 memo to the Town Council’s Ordinances, Rules and Standards Committee, said staff hopes that, by acting now, the town would be “grandfathered” if the Legislature blocks local governments from restricting or banning the use of plastic straws, which are harmful to the coastal environment.

The subject is on the agenda for the committee’s meeting 9 a.m. Thursday in Town Hall. The committee is made up of council members Lew Crampton and Julie Araskog, who chairs it. The committee’s decisions are recommendations to the council, which would approve the ban by ordinance in two votes.

About 500 million straws are used daily in the United States, most for less than 20 minutes, Boodheshwar said. Plastics never fully degrade but break down into micro-plastics that are ingested by other animals.

“This information has not been lost on those concerned about our marine environment, including many of the town’s businesses that already have voluntarily replaced plastic straws with paper ones,” Boodheshwar wrote.

In 2017, The Breakers stopped using plastic straws, plastic water bottles and polystyrene in all its restaurants. Paper straws have replaced plastic ones not only in the eateries but at resort banquets.

Last year, Surfside Diner began offering paper straws instead of plastic ones. The Sailfish Club switched to paper straws a few years ago.

Delray Beach approved a law on Feb. 5 prohibiting the distribution of single-use plastic straws at most of its businesses by next year. Deerfield Beach, Hallandale Beach, Marco Island, Fort Myers Beach and Miami Beach also have passed laws to limit or prohibit their use.

If a ban is approved in Palm Beach, Araskog said the town may phase it in to give businesses and consumers time to adjust.

Also Thursday the committee will review rules governing special permits for events held in parks and other town properties; and consider a proposed ordinance that would require owners to maintain their properties at a certain minimum standard.