Penticton city council will be looking at measures to deal with abandoned shopping carts.

At the Tuesday, Sept. 12 council meeting, staff are recommending a series of measures including wheel locks, geofencing and fines against grocery stores.

B次元官网网址淭he approach that is being suggested is one that is more proactive to manage the situation and deal with the unsightliness of abandoned carts,B次元官网网址� said Blake Laven, the cityB次元官网网址檚 director of development services.

B次元官网网址淭here is an underlying societal issue at play but we have found examples from other communities that show a path forward to improving the situation, without targeting people experiencing homelessness.B次元官网网址�

The unhoused use the carts to carry around their possessions.

Laven notes the current system of retrieving abandoned carts lacks the proactive measures to stop carts from being taken.

B次元官网网址淐urrently, staff receive daily calls about abandoned shopping carts in inappropriate locations - parks, creeks, side of roads, private properties, back lanes. When calls come in, the Community Safety Officers (CSOs) or other city staff retrieve the shopping carts, empty them (if required), and store them at City Yards,B次元官网网址� said the city report. Some stores retrieve them on a regular basis and others not frequently enough.

At any given time, the city can be storing 100 carts.

B次元官网网址淭his is a challenge from a space management perspective B次元官网网址� and also a significant amount of staff time is spent on the management of this issue,B次元官网网址� said the report. The report said the city has already consulted legal counsel on their recommendations.

The recommendations going to council are:

B次元官网网址� Businesses must label shopping carts with store information and register contact information with the City

B次元官网网址� Businesses must not permit carts to be removed from their premises, by taking B次元官网网址榬easonable measuresB次元官网网址� to reduce the unauthorized removal of carts, such as utilizing wheel locking technology, GPS chips, hired security or other methods

B次元官网网址� Businesses must retrieve carts belonging to the store within a specified time and accept carts belonging to the business

B次元官网网址� Appropriate fines to be instituted for violations of the regulations

B次元官网网址� Minimal storage fee for cart storage at City Yards

If approved, staff would then develop a regulatory framework for implementation and work with partners, both in the commercial retail sector, and with local social services organizations to ensure those experiencing homelessness have suitable options for transporting their belongings, said the report.

Most grocery store managers agreed that cart theft is a huge issue but they said they are the victims. They didnB次元官网网址檛 like the idea of being fined as is suggested, said the report.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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