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San Dimas introduces shopping-cart ordinance to curb abandoned carts; businesses must file retrieval plans
Summary
Council introduced Ordinance 1317 (Chapter 8.15) to reduce abandoned shopping carts, require businesses with more than 10 carts to submit retrieval plans within 90 days, and authorize prioritized enforcement; council voted to introduce the ordinance on first reading, 5-0.
The San Dimas City Council on March 25 introduced Ordinance 1317, a proposed new Chapter 8.15 of the municipal code intended to reduce abandoned shopping carts in public spaces.
Staff said the ordinance aims to reduce staff and contractor workload from abandoned carts, give the city more local control, and place primary responsibility on businesses to manage and retrieve carts. Staff reported the city currently collects an estimated 12–24 abandoned carts per week and described outreach to affected retailers before returning to the council.
Key provisions summarized by staff include a requirement that businesses owning more than 10 carts submit a shopping cart retrieval plan within 90 days of the ordinance’s effective date; carts must be marked for identification; the plan must outline prevention and retrieval strategies, employee training and retrieval logistics; and businesses would not pay a fee to submit the plan. The ordinance also allows for citation and prosecution when appropriate, though staff told council enforcement will be prioritized where it is practical and effective.
Council members asked about expected compliance, potential reductions in weekly collections and areas of concentrated cart loss. Staff said a majority of retailers contacted appeared in general compliance, but the plan submission will provide staff the opportunity to follow up and suggest improvements. Staff declined to predict an exact reduction in abandoned carts but said the city’s tracking system could measure effectiveness after implementation.
The council introduced the ordinance for first reading by unanimous vote (motion carried 5-0).
Outcome: Ordinance 1317 introduced for first reading; staff will publish timeline for plan submissions and measure effectiveness after implementation.
