The Village Board of the Village of East Hampton
hereby finds and declares that the unlawful taking, the misuse and
the abandonment of shopping carts and similar conveyances is a threat
to the protection and preservation of the property of the Village
and its inhabitants, constitutes a hazard to the health, safety and
general welfare of the populace of the Village and adversely affects
the legitimate conduct of trade and business in the Village of East
Hampton and constitutes a nuisance detrimental to the neighborhood
and the community at large.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ABANDON
The leaving, discarding, dumping or placing of shopping carts
and similar conveyances in a public place.
PERSON
An individual, corporation, partnership, association, society
or other legal entity.
PUBLIC PLACE
Every class of road, sidewalk, parking lot and other areas
publicly owned or operated or privately owned and open to the use
of the public or a segment thereof, excluding the interior of any
building where a shopping cart was obtained.
SHOPPING CART
A basket, container or other device made of wire, metal or
other material, mounted on wheels or handcarried, manually or otherwise
operated, such as is generally provided by merchants for picking up
merchandise in food stores and supermarkets.
VILLAGE
All areas within the Village of East Hampton.
No person who makes available to the public,
in connection with the conduct of business or trade, any shopping
cart shall leave it or suffer or permit it to be left, by himself,
his agent or other person to whom temporary possession has been permitted
by said person, upon any street, sidewalk, parking field or other
public place, as defined herein, or on private property other than
in the interior of the building of the person who makes the shopping
cart(s) available to the public.
Every person who owns or makes available to
the public, in connection with the conduct of business and trade,
any shopping cart shall mark it or cause the same to be marked and
identified conspicuously with his name and address and the specific
store location at which said cart is used.
Upon the redemption or sale of a cart, the proceeds
shall be deposited in the general funds of the Village.
This chapter shall not apply to any cart or
personal property which may come into the possession or custody of
any department of the Village pursuant to any other ordinance, law
or regulation.
Any person who shall violate any of the provisions
of this chapter shall, for each and every offense, be deemed guilty
of a violation and shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable by
a fine not exceeding $250.