A. Impoundment of Shopping Carts. The City may immediately impound any lost, stolen or abandoned shopping cart within the City, or any cart within the City to which the required identification sign is not affixed.

B. Impounded Carts. Owners identified on cart signs will be informed that they have 14 days in which to retrieve the cart(s) from the City.

C. Notification of Impounded Cart. The City shall utilize the required cart sign to notify the owner of each impounded cart; absence of the required cart sign shall relieve the City from this responsibility.

D. Fines. The City shall issue a $100.00 fine to the owner of each lost, stolen, or abandoned cart impounded by the City, unless the fine is eligible for deferral; however, the City shall issue a $200.00 fine to any owner who has 12 or more lost, stolen, or abandoned carts impounded by the City within a calendar month. Each cart impounded by the City shall constitute a separate violation.

E. Fine Deferrals. Within any calendar month the City shall defer fines for the first eight impounded carts owned by any business that, prior to the impoundment, has implemented the following criteria. If nine or more shopping carts under common ownership are impounded within a calendar month no fines shall be deferred by the City.