KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On July 23, motorists will be required to prepay at the pump before filling up, thanks to an ordinance passed by the Kansas City Council on July 13, reports the Kansas City Star.
According to an ordinance fact sheet, a significant number of motorists are stealing gasoline, causing the Kansas City Police Department to “expend significant time and expense investigating these matters, which not only detracts its attention from other crimes, but also results in costs to the city and its taxpayers through the investigations.”
The ordinance, which takes effect 10 days from passage, requires retailers and other businesses that sell gasoline to consumers to require prepayment at the pump. Businesses that do not comply with the new regulations will be “unable to renew their business license” when it comes time to do so, notes the newspaper.
NACS spokesman Jeff Lenard told the newspaper that the ordinance places Kansas City among the largest municipalities in the United States to require prepayment.
In 2005, Kansas City retailers reported more than 1,144 instances of gasoline theft. Police estimate that the time it takes to respond to drive-off reports cost taxpayers nearly $26,000. The newspaper notes that the new citywide plan is similar to prepay policies already in place at many retail locations, such as QuikTrip.
Councilwoman Deb Hermann, sponsor of the measure, said she carefully crafted the plan and was able to move the ordinance through the council without hearing any complaints from small, privately owned retail operations.
Meanwhile, retailer Dennis Carter, who owns several gas stations in the northern region of Kansas City, told the newspaper the new ordinance would reduce the amount of in-store traffic, therefore hurting sales on soft drinks, snack foods and other “impulse items.”
“We are all about customer convenience,” said Carter. “And this will be less convenient for the customer.”
Carter commented that business owners should be able to decide whether to require prepay at the pump, and that he is concerned his stores will lose business to surrounding cities, where prepay is not a requirement.