LAKE WORTH COMMISSIONER WANTS PROBE OVER CARTS
But not all Lake Worth residents agree issue warrants an ordinance.
LAKE WORTH — There’s a Lake Worth issue that has been bothering Commissioner Scott Maxwell for some time.
“We have a lot of abandoned shopping carts all over the city,” Maxwell told The Palm Beach Post. “And they’re very unsightly. Retailers should have some type of way of keeping the carts on their lots. This is just silly.”
He said the problem is getting worse and that it’s in every neighborhood. “Come on, folks, why are we doing this?” he asked. “Why are retailers allowing this to happen? Those shopping carts are a few hundred dollars apiece.”
Maxwell would like the city to investigate the issue, but he’s not sure when that will happen because City Manager Michael Bornstein and the city’s legal team first need direction from the commission.
“This is just a curb appeal issue,” he said. “Every little thing adds up, and if we could address them in a holistic and fair way, we need to take a look at it.”
Greenacres discussed the issue
in 2014 and considered drafting an ordinance for a similar problem, but before taking that step it opted to have the city’s Public Works Department retrieve carts for three months and document the responsible stores. The city would notify store managers by letter to pick up the carts.
In February, the Milwaukee Common Council approved an ordinance to fine store owners and customers who take shopping carts or allow shopping carts to be taken from stores. A similar ordinance was passed in Savannah, Georgia, in January.
Not all Lake Worth residents agree the issue is big enough for an ordinance.
“This is ridiculous,” said Richard Guercio. “How do you fine a shop for having someone steal their property? Publix has the wheel locks for when the carts pass the first-down marker. Maybe the city can be more constructive with these store owners.”
Matt Murphy said Miami residents collect abandoned carts and drive them back to the store for a fee.
“If the store doesn’t want to pay, they keep them and remove all the markings and sell them to local residents to use whenever they want,” Murphy said.
Michael Chase Flack Fox said he often speaks to the managers of Bravo and Family Dollar after rounding up carts himself to return them where they belong.
“It’s a bit tiring,” he said. “And one would think at their cost, the management would notice they have gone missing.”
Mayor Pam Triolo said she hasn’t seen any abandoned shopping carts in Lake Worth but would appreciate something being done.
“Anything that’s going to provide a nicer, cleaner and safer environment is good by me,” she said.
Commissioner Omari Hardy agrees.
“There’s technology that allows business store owners to make sure the carts don’t leave the parking lot,” he said. “I’m sure Lake Worth grocery store owners can put sensors on the bottom of the carts to make sure they don’t leave the parking lot.”
Maxwell said he’s tired of the issue.
“I can’t deal with shopping carts all over the place,” he said. “We’re trying to clean up our city and trying to get our neighborhoods squared away. It seems like two steps forward and three steps backward.”