Council discusses changes to solicitation rules and $50 permit fee in Ordinance 25-2; first reading only
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Summary
Ordinance 25-2 would amend Chapter 714 to add a $50 solicitation permit fee, allow signage prohibiting solicitors, and exempt nonprofits (including Girl Scouts) by permit; the item was discussed as a first reading with clarifications requested and no vote taken.
Council discussed Ordinance 25-2, which proposes amendments to Chapter 714 of the city code governing solicitation and distribution. Committee members said the ordinance would add a $50 application fee for solicitation permits, create an enforceable prohibition for door signage that forbids solicitors, and include exemptions for certain nonprofits such as the Girl Scouts.
Staff clarified that the exemption for nonprofits and youth groups is included in the permit, not the ordinance text itself, and committee members asked staff how many permits the city currently issues. Officials said enforcement has been difficult because, although a permit had been discussed previously, there was no penalty to actually require a permit; the proposed change would make unpermitted door-to-door solicitation a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
Council members also questioned the wording in a press release that referenced "petitioning," which the committee said is not the same as solicitation for money or goods; staff said the press release language should be revised to reflect the ordinance’s definition of solicitation. The ordinance was presented for first reading only; no final vote occurred at the meeting.
