Public Hearing & First Reading - Amendment to Chapter 8.70 Abandoned Shopping Carts City Council Meeting
September 21, 2026
PLANNING & COMMUNITY PRESERVATION
NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION
SUMMARY
1 Neighborhood Community Preservation staff is seeking to amend Chapter 8.70 Abandoned Shopping Carts ordinance by adding in language to include cart containment systems for all new construction and/or remodels and update the amount for recovery cost per approved Senate Bill 753 . 2 3
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visalia.gov
NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION
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Update to Section 8.70.030 Cart
Containment System Required
New Addition
B. A cart owner shall be required to install a physical containment system when the cart owner establishes a new facility utilizing carts for customers or when any improvements or expansions occur with a value in excess of $50,000.00
NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION
visalia.gov
Update to Section 8.70.060 Enforcement & Remedies
Revision to Amount
A. Any owner who fails to retrieve abandoned carts in accordance with this chapter in excess of three (3) times during a specified six (6)-month period shall be subject to a $100 fine for each occurrence. An occurrence includes all carts owned by the owner that impounded by the city in a one (1)-day period.
NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION
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Fines are only being increased for abandoned cart retrieval, fines are not being increased for non installation of locking mechanism on a property.
Clarification of fines being increased for abandoned carts only.
NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION
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Informational flyers with the proposed changes were hand delivered to applicable businesses with shopping carts.
Common Questions: Why the change? How can we pick them up? Do you have any of our carts now? Public Outreach-
NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION
visalia.gov
Move to introduce for the first reading Ordinance No. 2026-11, amending Chapter 8.70 which will increase the amount for the retrieval and return of shopping carts per business from $50 to $100 dollars and establish a cart containment system requirement for new construction and for existing businesses that obtain a building permit with a valuation exceeding $50,000.
Department Recommendation:
Thank you