AgdaPkt 2000-02-14 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

~cÞ period. Providing these services for 1,000 carts a month amounts to $3,000 a month, or $36,000 a year. (The greater the participation by retailers in the City-sponsored retrieval program, the lower the cost of subsidizing retrieval of carts owned by non-participating stores which are reclaimed within the 3-day grace period). Therefore, staff recommends a budget amendment to add $36,000 for costs to augment retrieval company expenses. The Public Works Services Department will provide a storage area in the corporation yard for one-year only. After that time, the City may have to find another area for cart storage. The use of the corporation yard is a public subsidy, which on the open market would be equivalent to $24,000 annually, estimated by multiplying the monthly cost of leasing unimproved land in an industrial area by the number of square feet needed times 12 months ($0.40 x 5,000 square feet x 12 months). Under the current operations, the City is expending funds with no control and no return on investment and no hope of resolving the issue. In the new program a higher level of service will be established than exists today. The retrieval service will be provided 7 days a week and all carts will be removed from the streets. The City will get a return on its investment, a direct solution to the problem, quantifiable measures, and a cart-free City. The following chart shows opportunities for the City to recover money spent on the retrieval program. Shopping Carts. Recovery of the City's Costs of Retrieval Costs Recovered Costs Not Recovered Participating Non-participating stores: 1) When Non-participating stores: 1) When stores pay cart is not reclaimed by owner within cart is reclaimed by owner within for their 3 business days following actual 3 business days following actual retrieval & notice, the City may charge impound notice, the City may not charge return & storage fees, fines etc. retrieval, impound, and storage services. commencing on the fourth day; 2) If fees according to State law. cart is not reclaimed by owner within 30 days following actual notice, the City may sell or dispose of the cart. Note: Selling or disposing of a cart (#2 above) may result in partial cost recovery. Unclaimed carts include unidentified carts and c9rtS with identification. Assumption: The City's goal is a cart-free City. The universal cart retrieval service retrieves all stray carts on the City's streets, rights-of-way, public areas, City parking lotslgarages, and certain private property that are not on the premises of the cart owner. Conclusion To attain a goal of a cart-free City, the City should: adopt an enforceable shopping cart ordinance; institute a City-wide cart retrieval program with the participation of retailers and with City funds to be used for nonparticipating retailers who retrieve their carts within the 3- '~..--.,. -'."T' ,