CHAPTER 2
SPECIAL BUSINESS REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 8. SHOPPING CART CONTAINMENT AND RETRIEVAL
SECTION:
§2383 Shopping Cart Identification Signs
§2385 Immediate Impound By City Of Abandoned Or Derelict Carts
§2386 Property In Abandoned Or Derelict Carts
§2380 APPLICABILITY
This article applies to:
A. Each business owner in the City that provides shopping carts for customer use on the business premises; and
B. Any person who removes or who is in possession of or who has abandoned an off-site shopping cart. (Ord. 1187, §2, adopted 2018; Ord. 1222, §2, adopted 2022)
§2381 DEFINITIONS
"Administrator" means the Director of Planning and Community Development or his or her designee.
"Business owner" or "owner" means one or more persons or any legal entity, such as, but not limited to, a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or association that owns a business that provides shopping carts for customer use on the premises.
"Off-site shopping cart" means a shopping cart that has been removed from the premises where it belongs in violation of the requirements of this article.
"Premises" means the entire area owned or under the control of a business owner, including the parking area and for businesses in a shopping center or other development where common areas serve more than one business, the common area shared by the business with other businesses in the development.
"Shopping cart" or "cart" means a basket or a similar device which is mounted on wheels and is generally owned and used as part of a retail establishment and used by a customer for transporting goods. (Ord. 1187, §2, adopted 2018; Ord. 1222, §2, adopted 2022)
§2382 PROHIBITIONS
A. Prohibitions Applicable To Business Owners: It is unlawful and a violation of this article for a business owner to:
1. Fail to affix an identifying sign to each shopping cart;
2. Fail to retrieve shopping carts within three (3) business days of notice from the Administrator, the Director of Public Works, or their designee;
3. Allow or authorize a shopping cart to be removed from the premises, except to allow for shopping carts to be serviced or repaired by a qualified and licensed company off site;
4. Fail to retrieve all shopping carts on the premises daily to ensure the carts are secured from public access after close of business hours.
B. Other Prohibitions: It is unlawful and a violation of this article for a person to:
1. Remove a shopping cart from the premises where it belongs; or
2. Possess an off-site shopping cart; or
3. Abandon an off-site shopping cart; or
4. Alter, convert, or tamper with a shopping cart, or remove any part or portion thereof or remove, obliterate or alter an identifying sign or serial numbers on a shopping cart. (Ord. 1187, §2, adopted 2018; Ord. 1222, §2, adopted 2022)
§2383 SHOPPING CART IDENTIFICATION SIGNS
Each business that furnishes carts for use shall have a sign permanently affixed to each cart in a prominent location.
The sign shall include all of the following information:
A. The identity of the owner of the cart or the business, or both;
B. The valid address or phone number of the business for returning the cart to the owner or business;
C. Notice to the public that the unauthorized removal of the cart from the premises or the unauthorized possession of the cart is a violation of State law and of the Ukiah City Code; and
D. Notice to the public that there shall be no authorized removal of the cart from the premises. (Ord. 1187, §2, adopted 2018; Ord. 1222, §2, adopted 2022)
§2384 CITY RETRIEVAL OF CARTS
A. The City may retrieve an abandoned or derelict cart from public property (or private property with the consent of the property owner) in the following circumstances:
1. Where the location of the shopping cart will impede emergency services.
2. When the City or its agent has determined the cart appears to be obviously abandoned, derelict, or possessed by a person other than the owner of the cart while off site.
B. Fees to recover costs of cart retrieval may be established from time to time by resolution of the City Council adopted in accordance with the procedures required by law. (Ord. 1187, §2, adopted 2018; Ord. 1222, §2, adopted 2022)
§2385 IMMEDIATE IMPOUND BY CITY OF ABANDONED OR DERELICT CARTS
Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the City may immediately impound and dispose of all carts determined by the City to be abandoned or derelict and located off site. Fees to recover costs of cart impoundment and disposal may be established from time to time by resolution of the City Council adopted in accordance with the procedures required by law. (Ord. 1222, §2, adopted 2022)
§2386 PROPERTY IN ABANDONED OR DERELICT CARTS
A. Any personal property found in a cart must be retained by the City or its agent for twenty-four (24) hours in order to determine if it is abandoned property. Trash or waste must be discarded as appropriate or required by law.
B. Once a determination is made by the City or its agent, abandoned property found in a cart is subject to the property procedures set forth in Policy 802 of the Ukiah Police Department Policy Manual, as the same may be amended from time to time. (Ord. 1222, §2, adopted 2022)
§2387 ENFORCEMENT
A. Retrieval: Whenever the Administrator, the Director of Public Works, or their designee notifies a business owner of an off-site cart, either verbally or in writing, the owner shall retrieve the cart within three (3) business days or be found in violation of this article and subject to the enforcement procedures found in subsection C of this section.
B. Violations: The following will be subject to any enforcement procedures permitted by law, as set forth in subsection C of this section:
1. An owner who violates this article;
2. A person who removes or possesses or abandons a shopping cart off site;
3. A person who alters, converts, or tampers with a shopping cart; or
4. An owner of real property who allows off-site carts to remain on his, her or its real property.
C. The enforcement procedures permitted by law for violations of this article include:
1. Prosecution as a misdemeanor under the authority of California Business and Professions Code Sections 22435.2 or 22435.3 or section 6098 of this code.
2. Imposition of a fine not exceeding (a) one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for a first violation, (b) two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) for a second violation within the same year, and (c) ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) for each additional violation within the same year.
3. Procedures for abatement of a nuisance under subsections 3402A and 3452K of this code, the civil and criminal penalties in section 3424 of this code, and any other applicable administrative penalties contained in the Ukiah City Code.
4. Civil action for enforcement, including to abate a public nuisance by injunction, the City Council declaring that a violation of this article constitutes a public nuisance.
5. Failure to pay a fine imposed pursuant to this subsection within thirty (30) days may result in proceedings for revocation of a business license or site development permit, if applicable.
These enforcement procedures and penalties are cumulative with each other and any other remedy available at law or in equity, and are not mutually exclusive. Any one or more of them may apply and be used or charged in response to a single violation of this article. (Ord. 1187, §2, adopted 2018; Ord. 1222, §2, adopted 2022. Formerly 2385)