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City of San Mateo Municipal Code.

17.29.050 MANDATORY PLAN TO PREVENT CART REMOVAL/EVALUATION REPORT.

Every Owner shall develop and implement a specific plan to prevent customers from removing carts from the business premises. The plan must include the following elements:

(a) Notice to Customers. Written notification shall be provided to customers that removal of carts from the premises and parking lots are prohibited and a violation of state and local law. This notice may be provided in the form of flyers, warnings on shopping bags, or any other form of written notification that will effectively notify customers of the prohibition.

(b) Signs. Signs shall be placed in pertinent places near door exits and near parking lot exits that warn customers that cart removal is prohibited and constitute a violation of state and local law.

(c) Physical Measures. Specific physical measures shall be implemented to prevent cart removal from the business premises. These measures may include, but are not limited to, disabling devices on all carts, posting of a security guard to deter and stop customers who attempt to remove carts from the business premises, bollards and chains around business premises to prevent cart removal, security deposits required for use of all carts, or the rental or sale of carts that can be temporarily or permanently used for transport of purchases.

(d) Evaluation Report. If a prevention plan was in place the previous year, a report shall be submitted to the City evaluating the measures that were used and approved in the prior year. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the inventory of carts owned/used by the business establishment and the number of carts that had to be replaced due to loss, theft or abandonment.