Township council recently approved an ordinance that will charge a fee to businesses that fail to retrieve their shopping carts from parking lots and other property.
“We’ve had an issue with shopping carts from various businesses on Route 73 ending up all over (the road),” explained Township Manager Meredith Riculfy. “So this is going to require the businesses to ensure that they collect their carts.”
The ordinance notes that the presence of shopping carts in public areas can create hazards, obstruct pedestrian traffic and pose safety risks. The measure’s purpose is to prevent or reduce the accumulation of shopping carts in the community and its public spaces. Abandoned carts can cause visual blight in neighborhoods.
The measure requires business owners to prevent removal of their carts; they can be assessed a fee between $25 and $50 per cart if they don’t. Within 24 hours of impounding a cart, the township will notify the owner, retailer or authorized user and provide information on its location. The owner will then have 24 hours to act. The township will dispose of a missing cart after five days of storage or failure to pay the fine.
The failure of a cart owner to provide the township with accurate, up-to-date copies of measures to prevent cart theft could result in a fine of up to $250.
Riculfy and other designees – which may include code enforcement and police officers – will have the authority to determine whether a violation exists and to take action. Besides impoundment, they can issue administrative citations, inspect public and private property, impose penalties or pursue criminal action.
The full ordinance is available to view on the township website, along with the Feb. 2 council meeting agenda.
