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Sulphur council repeals solicitor-registration requirement, keeps exemptions for churches and nonprofits
Summary
The Sulphur City Council introduced and approved ordinances removing a city requirement that door-to-door solicitors register, citing complaints about aggressive solicitations of elderly residents; the council kept exemptions for churches, nonprofits and informational distributions.
The Sulphur City Council on its regular meeting introduced and approved changes to the city code that remove a prior requirement for solicitors to register with the city and make related cleanups to chapters 13.5 and 17.
Council members voted to delete language that had required registration for door-to-door solicitors and to align sections addressing distribution and handbills. Council discussion and staff remarks said the change responds to multiple complaints, primarily from elderly residents, about aggressive solicitation. "We were receiving multiple complaints primarily from elderly individuals that ... we had people that were registering to do solicitations, but they were appearing at the elderly people's house multiple times being very aggressive," said Mr. Lofton, the council's attorney, explaining the basis for the amendment.
Officials emphasized that the repeal does not remove all limits on door-to-door activity. The ordinance text discussed at the meeting (identified in the packet as Ordinance 69-25) deletes section 13.5.152 (registration required) while preserving explicit exceptions for churches, governmental surveys, informational distributions such as city notices, candidates and their supporters, charitable organizations, students under 19, firefighter and police associations, scouting organizations and other causes that do not involve commercial transactions or solicitation of funds or goods.
Council members noted the city previously required registration and that registration had included background checks for non-exempt solicitors; the council's action eliminates that registration requirement. The amendment to the ordinance was moved and seconded and subsequently approved on a roll-call vote.
The amendments to chapter 17 discussed at the meeting include prohibiting placement of handbills in or on vehicles located on private property without permission; staff said invited distributions and written permission from property managers (for example at a store) would remain allowed. The administration told the council it will provide the finalized ordinance language for public review and that the changes are intended to make the code consistent across related sections.
The council recorded the votes on the ordinance introductions and related amendments and the items moved forward for finalization consistent with council procedure.
