Savannah.
It’s got its share of major problems: drugs, poverty, shootings and homelessness.
Then there are the more mundane matters that periodically crop up.
Take grocery carts for instance.
It is not uncommon for some Savannahians to wheel a cart well beyond the boundaries of the store to their home.
Meet Tameca and Dennis Cammon.
On Sunday, the couple pushed a cart loaded with bottled water and other essentials from the downtown Kroger along Gwinnett Street to their home on Waters Avenue.
It’s not something they do all the time, but their car was out of commission, Tameca Cammon said. Many of their older neighbors, who don’t have any other options, regularly bring the carts home with them, however, she said.
But some residents are getting tired of seeing the carts abandoned along the streets, canals, bus stops and yards and have been making their displeasure known to city officials.
Now the city is trying to encourage the stores to keep their property off the streets and behind the sliding doors.
Assistant City Manager Peter Shonka recently sent letters to all the local grocers asking them to take better care of their property. Shonka said the city is considering ways to address the issue, including rounding up the carts and holding them until the businesses redeem a fee.
“We recognize that you often have little or no control over customers removing carts from your property,” he said. “However, it is the name of your company that appears on your cart creating visual blight and clutter.”
The City Council devoted about 15 minutes to the topic during its meeting Thursday.
Alderman Estella Shabazz said she has been receiving a lot of calls about the issue, as has Alderwoman Mary Ellen Sprague, who said residents are getting upset because people leave the carts on their lawns and the stores won’t come and pick them up.
Alderman Tom Bordeaux questioned why the stores were allowing shoppers to walk away with the carts in the first place.
“The last time I walked out of the store with $500 worth of merchandise, they got upset,” Bordeaux said. “It is stolen property.”
Alderman Tony Thomas questioned whether all the blame should be put on the merchants, suggesting police should confront people they see pushing the carts down the street.
“The shopping cart doesn’t drive away by itself,” Thomas said.
Tameca Cammon said Kroger actually does a good job of collecting the carts in their neighborhood by having someone drive around and pick them up regularly.
“I’ve never seen one out there for more than a day,” she said.
Kroger has had some success with its collection program, and the city would like to see the other merchants apply something similar citywide, said Susan Broker, director of Savannah’s Citizen Office.
“The city’s goal is compliance,” Broker said. “Whatever measures they can take we would be supportive of.”
Starting Thursday, the city plans to start accessing problem areas and the businesses contributing to them.
City Manager Stephanie Cutter said during last week’s meeting that the stores are ultimately responsible for their inventory.
“We know we’re not going to solve the shopping cart problem this afternoon,” Cutter said. “It’s going to have to be tweaked here and there.”