Tired of solicitors bugging you after dark? You soon might be able to sign up for a city registry similar to the Do Not Call registries that limit telemarketers.
The Newport Beach City Council is holding a study session this afternoon, which included a staff report on legal remedies for aggressive solicitors.
“Like many residents of Newport Beach, the last thing I want at 7 o’clock at night is a knock on the door from someone I don’t know,” said Catherine M. Wolcott, deputy city attorney, in her report to council members. Unfortunately, she said, cities are very limited in what kinds of restrictions they can impose because of court cases and First Amendment concerns.
Currently, solicitation is permitted between 8 a.m. and until 9 p.m. — unless a resident has a “No Soliciting” sign on a front door. Previous court cases have upheld the First Amendment rights of solicitors to ring bells for commercial and non-commercial reasons, even after dark, unless you have a sign.
(Apparently, it also is legal for solicitors to place handbills on your cars unless you put a No Handbill sign on your dashboard, Wolcott said, citing a San Clemente case.)
Wolcott said that commercial solicitors are supposed to register with the city. If the city creates a No-Solicting Registry, those who get permits will get a list of people they should not bother when they apply for those permits.
Corona del Mar has seen waves of solicitors, including groups who arrive from out of state by the busload. Sometimes, these solicitors claim they are collecting money for a charity, although typically most of the money collected is kept.
Gardner said she was disappointed by the news relayed in the staff report.
“Obviously, there is some pretty aggressive solicitation going on,” she said. After she reported her own run-in with a solicitor last fall — who told her “profanely how to deal with myself,” she said — several residents emailed and called to say they too had problems. In fact, just about an hour before the council meeting began, Newport Beach police logs showed a solicitor complaint on Ocean Boulevard.
Council members agreed that solicitors were a problem, and they urged the city attorney to draft the strictest possible changes to the municipal code.
“It would be good to take this as far as we can take this,” Councilman Michael Henn said.
City Attorney David Hunt agreed.
“O.K. — go forth,” said Mayor Keith Curry.
Read our earlier stories here, here and here. Read the complete staff report here.
