CC - Item 5F - Abandoned Shopping Carts UpdateROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JEFF ALLRED, CITY MANAGER
DATE: JUNE 11, 2013
SUBJECT: ABANDONED SHOPPING CARTS UPDATE
SUMMARY
The following information is provided on this topic:
• Under the City's existing service contract with Shopping Cart Retrieval
Corporation, an average of 360 abandoned shopping carts per month are picked -
up from City streets and returned to the respective stores at an annual cost of
$10,000. The City's proposed Budget for the upcoming 2013 -14 Fiscal Year
includes an allocation of $20,000, which will effectively double the number of
abandoned shopping carts to be picked up by the contractor to 720 per month.
• City employees in the field who observe abandoned shopping carts can now
report them directly to the retrieval contractor by calling (800) 252 -4613.
• All newly approved stores or markets are required to utilize shopping carts with
wheels that "lock -up" when exiting the premises. Stores that now utilize such
lock -up shopping carts include Wal -mart, Target and Fresh & Easy.
• Members of the public will be encouraged to report abandoned shopping carts
directly to the retrieval contractor at (800) 252 -4613, or to the Public Works
Department at (626) 569 -2262. This information will be disseminated to the
public in the City's Rosemead Resources newsletter, on the City's website and
through informational flyers.
In addition to these measures, efforts are underway to determine whether the City's
municipal code provisions on this topic should be strengthened to combat this problem.
Staff Recommendation
As this an informational item, no City Council action is requested at this time.
ITEM NUMBER: ,C
BACKGROUND
At the May 28 City Council meeting during Public Comment, two citizens complained
about the problem of abandoned shopping carts on City streets and public rights -of-
way, which detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the community. Under Rosemead
Municipal Code Section 9.12.080, the abandonment of a commercial shopping cart
upon any public street, alley, sidewalk, parkway, public place or private property
constitutes a violation of the City's municipal code. Persons who violate provisions of
the municipal code can be found guilty of a misdemeanor or issued an administrative
citation. However, the offenders of this code provision are often among the most
vulnerable citizens of our community, often senior citizens. For this reason, and the
fact that it is not cost effective to do so, the City has not pursued aggressive
enforcement of these code provisions, but instead has opted for retrieval services.
The City contracts with Shopping Cart Retrieval Corporation to pick -up abandoned carts
and return them to the respective stores. As stated above, the Budget for the upcoming
2013 -14 Fiscal Year has doubled the financial allocation to deal with this problem. In
addition, measures have been taken to enable field employees to contact the retrieval
company directly to expedite the removal of abandoned shopping carts from the streets
and public rights -of -way. Moreover, public information efforts are being made to enable
members of the public to quickly report abandoned shopping carts by telephone or
through the Rosemead 'Round- the -Clock CRM reporting system on the City's website.
At present, when new stores or markets seek entitlements from the City, they are
subject to standard conditions of approval that require the use of shopping carts
equipped with wheels that "lock -up" when exiting the store premises. Stores that
currently use such "lock -up' wheels include Wal -mart, Target and Fresh & Easy.
Finally, staff is researching ways to appropriately strengthen the City's municipal code
provisions to combat this problem.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
This item has been noticed through the regular agenda notification process.