Costa Mesa pushes shopping-cart retrieval efforts

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Though there are many issues that divide the city, Costa

Mesa residents banded together Monday night to offer ideas for the

removal of abandoned shopping carts from city streets.

“I am pleased to hear the comments and suggestions that came from this

meeting tonight and would be pleased to work with the community to find a

solution,” Councilwoman Karen Robinson said.

Almost a dozen residents encouraged the council to seek options such

as incentive programs, talking to store representatives and fining stores

for abandoned carts before agreeing to spend up to $7,000 per month.

Some residents said they would organize and support a boycott of

offending grocery stores before asking taxpayers to fund the program.

“I’ll take my business outside of the city if I have to, but I want to

see this problem stopped,” resident Joel Faris said.

The council did not go as far as to endorse a boycott but did vote

unanimously to solicit a company to pick up abandoned carts while working

with members of the community and store managers to resolve the problem.

The council moved to draft a letter from the mayor inviting grocery

store representatives to meet with city officials to discuss the issue.

Residents at the meeting said they were angry that stores were not

required to pay the cost of retrieval.

Assistant City Manager Donald Lamm explained that in 1998 a state law was passed prohibiting the city from charging grocers for the cost of

retrieving shopping carts.

For the past five months, code enforcers have been reviewing possible

alternatives to removing abandoned shopping carts from the city. The

staff worked with Anaheim and Santa Ana, two cities that hire shopping

cart removal services.

Both cities use Hernandez Cart Retrieval Co. to pick up and return the

carts to their owners if the carts are identifiable, Lamm said. Hernandez

Cart Removal patrols in Santa Ana with two trucks eight hours a day seven

days a week. Santa Ana pays $7,000 per month for the service, Lamm said.

Anaheim pays only $4,000 per month, but has only one truck to patrol the

city.

Resident Chris Eric suggested an incentive program to get the carts

back to their stores.

“If a kid saw a cart on the street and knew he would get some cash to

return it, I guarantee there would be no more carts on the street,” he

said.

Councilman Gary Monahan also encouraged his council colleagues and

residents to publicize markets such as Smart & Final and El Matador who

take responsibility for retrieving their own carts.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .

QUESTION

CART-FREE STREETS

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