At its last meeting, the City Council adopted legislation to address the unsightly nuisance of abandoned shopping carts left on public and private property — a persistent quality of life challenge in neighborhoods close to supermarkets. Our new City ordinance requires stores and supermarkets to affix an identification tag to their carts, including a phone number to contact if a stray cart is found.
It is my hope that this straightforward approach, which does not entail any public administrative burdens, will lead to self-correction of the problem. Shoppers will be discouraged from taking carts in the first place, residents who encounter abandoned carts will be able to contact the correct responsible party, and store owners and managers will have an added incentive to retrieve carts in an efficient manner.
If this gentle strategy proves ineffective, then the City may be able to explore other alternatives.