07-26-95 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL JULY 26, 1995 The Code Officer proposed that the City use the exemption route for organizations such as Girl Scouts, pointing out that the ordinance will not be as effective if the ordinance is amended to exempt all non-profits from licensing requirements. Pedersen asked the rational in having this ordinance. The Code Officer replied that it allows the City to screen and regulate activities of solicitors within the City. The $25 license fee covers staff time in processing the license. Pedersen suggested that the ordinance may screen out a few solicitors. However, suggested that any solicitor who is not legitimate would quickly work through the City moving on to another city before it was discovered that he or she were operating. Scalze asked if this ordinance were typical of what other cities have adopted. The Code Officer replied that that is correct. The majority of the proposed wording came from White Bear Lake's ordinance. Ordinances from White Bear Township and Shoreview were reviewed as well. The City Attorney agreed that the ordinance was very typical. Snformation that is required of solicitors will be helpful if the City receives complaints. The City Administrator indicated that the ordinance gives the City the ability to go to the Sheriff with complaints and have violations enforced. The current ordinance provides little authority to regulate certain types of solicitors. Morelan asked if the information provided by solicitors was public information, pointing out that the information would be helpful if residents had a complaint about a product they purchased from a solicitor. The City Attorney was not sure whether the information was public. The City Attorney again stated that he would like to review the ordinance in more detail with regard to religious solicitation issues given the First Amendment protection to such organizations. Morelan withdrew his motion, and LaValle his second. l0