Council introduces shopping‑cart ordinance to curb abandoned carts; first reading approved 5‑0

The Wildomar City Council introduced, by title only, an ordinance (No. 264) to regulate shopping carts that create hazards or blight in the public right of way and on private property.

Community Development Director Robert Flores explained the ordinance creates local procedures consistent with state law: it prohibits removing shopping carts from retail sites for unintended uses, requires retailers that own 10 or more carts to submit an approved shopping‑cart management plan, establishes notification and an impoundment process, and permits the city to recover eligible retrieval costs (subject to state caps of up to $100 per cart). The ordinance includes an administrative appeal process delegated to the city manager or designee.

Flores said staff will reach out to the city's retailers before any enforcement and will provide guidance and technical assistance; code enforcement intends to notify and meet with businesses before issuing citations. Council members asked about outreach to specific retailers and whether smaller, local vendors would be subject to the same plan requirements. Flores said the 10‑cart threshold is established in the draft but is adjustable by council.

The council voted 5‑0 to introduce and conduct a first reading by title. Staff said they will provide retailers with time to adopt cart management measures and will not cite businesses until outreach and compliance assistance have been attempted.

The measure aims to reduce blight, improve accessibility and shift responsibility for cart retrieval to owners and site managers while preserving due process for property owners and retailers.