Ed. Note: This is a copy of a letter sent to Ballard District Coordinator Rob Mattson and forwarded to city officials and neighborhood figures.

With concern for the beauty of Ballard and the costs flowed down to the residents and customers of this community, who holds the end responsibility to collect the dozens of filth-filled shopping carts that our one bag lady has left on Ballard Avenue and the streets around downtown Ballard?

This one lady is, in my eyes, a criminal who steals shopping carts that cost, I am sure, at least $200 to $400 each from our local stores. The cost of these losses ends up being flowed down to the customers in higher prices of the goods we buy.

The trash filled shopping carts left for weeks on end in the business areas of Ballard shows a disregard for the community by the business owners and local leaders.

Currently there are six carts on Ballard Avenue, several around the park at 22nd Avenue and Market Street, and more scattered around the downtown area.

At what point and what cost is someone dispatched to collect these carts, dispose of the contents, and return the carts to the businesses they were stolen from? At what point will efforts be made to shut down the one bag lady responsible for continuously degrading our neighborhood?

The business owners should be pressing charges against this person who has stolen thousands of dollars of property impacting their P&L and a cost that gets flowed down to the customers.

How about a progressive approach and allow her one shopping cart that the community will support her to collect trash, and once she empties a cart in a designated garbage can, she receives a fixed cash payment out of Ballard's budget?

I am sure the business owners would support this if it means no more carts left in their doorways each morning.

In any event, let's make an effort to put controls on this one person who has continuously made Ballard look like skid row and robs from this community.

Alan
Ballard