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Council directs pilot, outreach and state‑law review to tackle abandoned shopping carts; approves motion 10–1
Summary
The council approved staff outreach and a pilot retrieval program to address abandoned shopping carts, directed staff to engage retailers and explore 311 integration and state‑law changes, and approved a range of enforcement and voluntary options; the measure passed 10–1.
The San Jose City Council voted 10–1 on Feb. 4 to direct staff to begin a pilot and outreach process aimed at reducing the number of abandoned shopping carts scattered across the city.
The motion (co‑sponsored by the mayor and four councilmembers) asks staff to pilot a retrieval service, in coordination with neighboring Milpitas’ contractor experience, to clear carts reported by residents and to study integration of a reporting path into the San Jose 311 system. The motion also directs staff to engage large retailers, explore voluntary cost‑recovery arrangements, strengthen the city’s existing abandoned‑cart regulations and, through intergovernmental relations, seek state law changes that would permit more direct cost recovery by cities.
Staff said the current municipal code requires retailers with 26 or more carts to file yearly prevention plans and identify a contact for retrieval, but the city lacks a dedicated, on‑demand pickup service. BeautifySJ and DOT collect roughly 1,000 carts annually as part of other cleanup work; staff estimated another roughly 1,000 carts are identified but not consistently collected. Staff flagged state statutes that currently require a city‑operated impound lot if city officials want to recover retrieval costs — a requirement staff said makes simple cost‑recovery infeasible.
Council approved a motion to pilot a retrieval contract (potentially by piggybacking on Milpitas’ contractor), to spend an initial small amount of one‑time funds ($10,000–$20,000) to test operations through the end of the fiscal year, to pursue retailer outreach on voluntary cost recovery options and to return with recommendations and proposed budget amendments for a longer‑term program. The motion passed on a 10–1 vote with Councilmember Campos opposing.
Several community members, public‑works staff and retail representatives testified. The California Grocers Association offered to collaborate on practical solutions and said some anti‑theft systems (wheel locks) can help but are not foolproof. Staff said the pilot will clarify costs and operational design for a possible permanent program.
