Shopping cart ordinance doesn’t pass council

SCLTC names Meador as new campus dean
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CRIME BLOTTER: Reported offenses in the Tri-parishes
August 30, 2012
SCLTC names Meador as new campus dean
August 30, 2012
CRIME BLOTTER: Reported offenses in the Tri-parishes
August 30, 2012

Abandoned shopping carts in Terrebonne Parish will remain a problem with no definitive action plan for the foreseeable future.

In a 4-4 split last Wednesday, a second attempt to establish laws dealing with shopping carts taken from retail property and left discarded by citizens failed due to a lack of majority vote by the Terrebonne Parish Council.


“It is unbelievable,” Councilman John Navy said of his failed proposal. “At least the parish president supported it, although there were no fines involved.”


The shopping cart problem is particularly significant in Navy’s Dist. 1 area. In his original proposal, which had been vetoed by Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet, Navy wanted business owners to be held financially accountable for costs associated with discarded shopping carts.

In Navy’s second proposal there were no required costs for cart signage or fines involved, but unclaimed carts would have become property of parish government for resale or disposal.


“[This ordinance] does absolutely nothing,” Councilman Russell “Red” Hornsby said. “We already have laws on the books about stealing. I’m always against putting laws on the books that do not do anything. It is just a waste of everybody’s time.”

Hornsby said he would like to form a committee with parish council members to personally pick up abandoned shopping carts.

Those voting along with Navy for the measure included council members Arlanda Williams, Pete Lambert and Greg Hood. Opposition votes came from Hornsby, Beryl Amedee, Dirk Guidry and Danny Babin. Councilwoman Christa Duplantis was absent from the meeting. Navy said he was confident Duplantis would have voted in favor of the ordinance.

“The four that voted against it did not want fines and there were no fines in [this version of the bill],” Navy said. “I do want to say for the record, that in those other councilmen’s districts, if they need to clean up in any other way I will support them.”

Abandoned shopping cart blight, with no enforcement arm to deal with it will continue in Terrebonne Parish after a second proposed ordinance failed to pass a parish council vote last Wednesday.

FILE PHOTO