Anchorage committee opens review of abandoned shopping‑cart problem and possible municipal responses

The Community and Economic Development Committee discussed whether Anchorage should create municipal rules or programs to address abandoned shopping carts during a March 5 meeting, with staff asking for additional data on scale and costs before drafting legislation.

Chair George Martinez framed the session as a preliminary, fact‑gathering discussion: "Are abandoned shopping carts sufficiently widespread enough concern to warrant municipal legislation?" he asked. The item was intended to collect initial feedback and identify follow‑up tasks rather than to introduce an ordinance.

Code enforcement perspective

Scott Campbell, chief of inspections and supervisor for code enforcement, said the office receives frequent complaints about shopping carts that surface most often in spring when melting snow makes carts easier to move. "It's kind of a lower priority for us," Campbell said, noting life‑safety complaints take precedence. He described several municipal options observed elsewhere: municipal pickup with a compound that charges retailers to retrieve carts; wheel‑lock systems used by many retailers; or assigning recovery responsibility to property owners.

Retailer responsiveness and municipal costs

Committee members raised two recurring points: retailers' willingness to retrieve carts and the municipal cost of removing and storing carts found on public rights of way. When asked how responsive retailers are to calls about stray carts, Campbell answered simply: "Not very responsive." Members said the Anchorage Municipality frequently ends up covering removal costs, pointing to anecdotal concentrations of carts near some large retailers.

Next steps and staff follow‑up

Members asked staff to assemble basic metrics: complaint counts by area and season, retailer response times, and examples of enforcement or partnership models used by other cities. The committee did not direct legislation at the meeting; staff and code enforcement were asked to research scale and options for future consideration.

What the meeting did not do: the committee did not introduce an ordinance or adopt a new enforcement program at this session.