HomeMy WebLinkAboutC24110 Shopping Cart Retrieval ServicesContract No. C24110
REQUEST:
SUBMITTED BY:
DATE:
CONTENTS:
Recommendation:
CITY OF PALM DESERT
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
STAFF REPORT
Approve Funding for Ongoing Shopping Cart Retrieval Services and
Extend the Contract through the end of the 2005/06Fiscal Year.
Gary Rosenblum, Risk Manager
January 12, 2006
Shopping Cart Summary
Shopping Cart Map
By Minute Motion: Approve the appropriation of $15,000 from the
Unobligated General Fund to provide for ongoing shopping cart retrieval
services through the end of 2005/06 Fiscal Year, and extend our contract for
retrieval services through the end of the fiscal year.
Executive Summary:
On May 26, 2005, the City Council approved a budget of $3,000 to contract with a shopping
cart retrieval service to patrol the streets and respond to phone calls about shopping carts
and get the carts off the streets, and then after six months, "see where we stand." The
service was contracted in July, and the service was started in August 2005. As of October
31, 2005, the $3,000 budget was exhausted, mainly because the number of carts collected
was double what was originally estimated. Detailed data regarding the stores that generate
the most abandoned carts, and the locations where the carts are being collected ("hot
spots") have been assembled as per City Council instructions regarding the contractor's
scope of services. These data are attached.
Discussion:
On May 26, 2005, the City Council approved a budget of $3,000 to hire a shopping cart
retrieval service. The scope of services was to patrol the streets at least three times per
week to collect abandoned carts, respond to resident and City employee phone calls
identifying particular carts, and collect detailed data regarding the time, date, location, and
owner of all abandoned carts. The service contractor, California Shopping Cart Retrieval
Corporation (CART) was contracted in July, and the service was started in August. As of
October 31, 2005, the $3,000 budget was exhausted, mainly due to a significantly higher
number of carts being collected (300/month) than was originally estimated (160/month).
Our contract with CART incurs a cost of $4.50 per cart collected and returned to its owner.
Ongoing Shopping Cart Retrieval Services
Page 2 of 3
January 12, 2006
Detailed data regarding the stores that generate the most retrieved carts, and the locations
where the carts are collected ("hot spots") by CART, and summaries of the data are
attached.
The number of carts collected from the City was 344 in August, 265 in September and 295
in October. The top five stores for number of carts collected every month were Target,
Trader Joes, Dollar Tree, 99 Cent Store, and Walgreens. Other retailers regularly in the
top ten include Jensen's, Home Goods and Rite Aid.
The locations where the carts are found indicate that the combination of retail type
(regularly purchased food and sundry domestic goods) and proximity to either a bus stop,
or a concentration of rental apartments or particular neighborhoods where certain residents
regularly take the carts home is associated with higher frequency of abandoned carts. See
attached map.
The City has an important interest in continuing the cart retrieval service to reduce visual
blight. The City's cart retrieval program also empowers residents who are unhappy about
seeing the carts on their streets to be able to make the phone call, report the cart, and take
an active, positive role in improving their community. The program has been successful
from the standpoint of removing the carts from the streets efficiently, and CART has
provided a good quality service.
The current program does not effect prevention of abandoned carts. The City has no
ordinance requiring anything of retailers to prevent their carts from being taken from their
property and abandoned on City and private property. There is no organized program to
contact retailers and request that they improve their performance in regard to abandoned
shopping carts. The cart retrieval service does not contact each retailer to document
delivery of the returned carts, so the retailers have no direct knowledge of how many carts
our service is bringing back to their property.
The City (Code Enforcement with Risk Management) has only approached the 99 Cent
Store regarding shopping carts. This was mainly due to the additional issue of 99 Cent
Store carts rolling onto Highway 111 due to the physical layout, slope and driveway
configuration of the property. Research of the police report history uncovered several
vehicle collisions with the carts which were previously unknown to the City. When
presented with this evidence, the store subsequently installed "smart carts" which lock
when they roll over a magnetic wire installed under the pavement within a designated
perimeter many feet inside the actual property line of their parking lot. This reduces the
influx of new 99 Cent Store carts from being abandoned off the property, and especially
rolling into Highway 111.
This does not eliminate 99 Cent Store Carts from being abandoned, because there is a
substantial stock of old non -locking carts infiltrated throughout the City which periodically
come into view and are picked up by the service.
Retail stores that utilize shopping carts incur a cost to buy and maintain them. Some, such
as our major food stores like Albertsons, Vons and Ralphs, also incur the additional cost to
Ongoing Shopping Cart Retrieval Services
Page 3 of 3
January 12, 2006
contract with CART directly to bring their carts back. Consequently, shopping carts from
these retailers do not appear on our monthly reports at all.
The City Council may, within the specifications mandated by California State law (Business
and Professions code 22435) enact an ordinance to regulate shopping cart management in
the City. The law makes it unlawful for a person to take a cart off the owner's property, and
classifies the violation as a misdemeanor. The law limits the manner and amount that the
City can fine retailers for not recovering impounded carts. If the City's retrieval program
meets the definition of impounding, the City is prevented from simply allocating the full cost
of our contractor service back to the retailers. The state mandated process is complex and
administratively cumbersome and is not worth the resources that would be needed to
implement it.
Other Cities in Southern California have enacted ordinances also requiring retailers to
provide a written program describing how they will reduce the number of abandoned carts.
However, enacting such an ordinance in Palm Desert will require an ongoing allocation of
City resources to collect, file, read, analyze and approve each retailer's plan, and then
contact and meet with retailers whose plans are not implemented or are otherwise not
sufficient in order to improve their performance. Enacting such an ordinance will also not
prevent all shopping carts from being abandoned, and require the City to continue some
form of retrieval service. It is likely the combined cost for City resources and continuing
contractor services would be higher than just contractor services alone. Enacting an
ordinance to regulate shopping carts is, therefore, not recommended.
Submitted By:
Gary Rdsenblum
Risk Manager
Approval:
Carl/J*4 1,M
sL. Oh
City Manage
r''p`'�.1
Paul Git
Director
Finance/City Treasurer
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CITY OF PALM DESERT
DAILY SHOPPING CART RETRIEVAL BY LOCATION
AUGUST 2005
Address Carts Retrieved
72-500-73-000 Highway 111
32
72-600 Fred Waring Drive
21
73000 - 73500 San Gorgonio Way
21
72-500 Fred Waring Drive
20
72-300 Fred Waring Drive
18
Hidden River and Washington
14
42455 Avenue of the States
14
El Paseo and Plaza
11
Hann and Town Center
8
73500 - 74000 Catalina and San Carlos
7
42nd. Avenue and Washington
7
Washington and Fred Waring
7
Monterey and Hwy 111
6
Portola and Santa Rosa
6
Dudley and Washington
6
Washington and Delaware
5
El Paseo and Highway 111 (West side)
4
73301 Guadalupe Ave.
4
Catalina and San Pablo
4
Catalina and San Rafael
4
Highway 111 and Village Center Drive
4
Idaho and Hovley Lane
4
El Paseo and Highway 111 (East side)
3
44200 San Pascual
3
73560 San Carlos and Highway 111
3
45-000 Deep Canyon
2
Fred Waring and Hwy 111
2
Park View
2
Highway 111 and Magnesia Falls
2
Portola and Catalina
2
Hovley and Avenue of the States
2
Country Club and Desert Willow
2
Washington and Country Club
2
Michigan and Kansas
2
California and Michigan
2
Hann and Monterey
1
24-550 Shadow Hills
1
Monterey and Magnesia Falls
1
Portola and Fred Waring
1
Alessandro and Portola
1
San Pablo and Santa Rosa
1
Cook and Market
1
Monterey and Sonora
1
Shadow Hills
1
Total Carts Retrieved 265
DailyCart Retrieval byl-ocationAugust-October.xls 1
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