Local News
Carts Are Gonna Cost Ya
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Sep 16, 2009, 01:30

Shopping Cart Ordinance, effective Jan 1, 2010 (Scroll to bottom)

In a July workshop to address the issue, a crowded room of 2 (TWO) retailers worked with BPS Major Walter Landrum and KDCB Suzanne Brandt on the shopping cart problem.

Illustration of the Problem

On Tuesday evening, Major Landrum presented a new city ordinance that is expected to solve the long standing community problem.  After a public hearing at the October 6 meeting, it is expected to pass on October 20.

Major Walter Landrum

The ordinance, included below, will prohibit a resident from taking a shopping cart off the store premises.  For those residents that need to utilize a store's cart to get groceries home, written permission from the store is permitted, otherwise, Public Safety will issue a citation to the resident.

In addition, a cart found abandoned will cost the store a $25 fine for each cart.  Losing 150 shopping carts per month is not unusual and could now cost the store $45,000 per year.  Major Landrum pointed out that stores must pass this cost on to consumers.

Roy Oliver, Wal-Mart store manager, who attended Tuesday's meeting, told us they have worked to keep their carts off Bainbridge Streets.  Wal-Mart contracts with Bainbridge Lawn Enforcement to regularly pick up all of their carts.  Other grocery stores appear not to be as concerned, citing budget restrictions as the reason for their lack of effort.

City Manager Chris Hobby stated the city wants to get out of the cart business.  He stressed that they want all the stores to do it on their own saying the fines "would only be for those stores that failed to take responsibility".  Mr Hobby noted "The one store at the meeting tonight does take that responsibility, but others don't."

Shopping Cart Ordinance, effective Jan 1, 2010
The Code of Bainbridge, Georgia is hereby amended by adding a section to be numbered 54-16, which reads ds follows:
Sec. 54-16.  Shopping carts; removal, abandonment, recovery by owner, disposition of unclaimed carts.

(a) Definition. The term "shopping cart" when used in this section means a push cart of the type commonly provided by grocery stores, drugstores, or other merchants for the use of the public in transporting commodities inside and outside of stores.

(b) Marking. Owners must clearly mark all shopping carts with the name of the owner. Failure to do so may result in confiscation and disposal of the shopping carts by the city.

(c) Removal prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to remove a shopping cart from the premises of the owner of such shopping cart without the written consent of the owner or of his agent, servant, or employee given at the time of such removal. For the purpose of this section, the premises shall include the entire parking area set aside by the owner, or on behalf of the owner, for the parking of cars.

(d) Abandonment prohibited.  It shall be unlawful for any person to leave or abandon any shopping cart on any sidewalk, right of way, street or other property within the city other than the property of the owner of the shopping cart.

(e) Confiscation. If a shopping cart is found on any property other than the premises of the owner of the shopping cart, the city may retrieve the cart and remove it to a storage location. Any shopping cart impounded by the city under this section may be reclaimed by the owner thereof by submitting evidence, satisfactory to the city, of ownership and the payment of $25 for each cart so impounded. Any shopping cart impounded under this section which has not been reclaimed by an owner as herein specified within 60 days shall be disposed of by the city in the same manner as other property seized by the city.