RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio — City Council passed legislation Tuesday (Nov. 26) designed to limit or stop the number of nuisances caused by door-to-door solicitors.
One piece of legislation, unanimously approved, will have the city partnering with NOPEC (Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council) to provide for residents a “Do Not Knock Registry.”
Residents who do not wish to have solicitors knock on their home’s door can request a sign that would be placed at the door prohibiting uninvited solicitors or peddlers from knocking. If a solicitor disobeys the sign, police can charge him or her with a misdemeanor.
Residents can register to receive such a sign by filling out a form at the Richmond Heights police station, or online at blocktheknock.com.
NOPEC will assist with establishing and maintaining the registry for the city, and will distribute the signage. There is no cost to be included on the Do Not Knock Registry.
Residents will remain on the registry list until they move or submit a formal request to the city or NOPEC requesting to be removed.
The registry list will be given to all persons who register with the city as a commercial solicitor or peddler, informing them of which homes to avoid.
Council also approved legislation that repealed its former ordinance pertaining to solicitors, which Law Director Todd Hunt said was “overbroad,” and adopted a new ordinance that conforms to court decisions.
The former ordinance had been similar to those of other communities who had been taken to court over First Amendment violations pertaining to solicitors.
Richmond Heights had not been taken to court over its past ordinance.
“A lot of communities have been sued, even in Cuyahoga County, over their solicitation (ordinances),” Hunt said. “So we went back and looked at all the case law.”
The newly passed Richmond Heights ordinance requires that solicitors obtain from the city a license to approach residences, and adds the “Do Not Knock Registry.”
It also makes specific regulations for non-commercial solicitors, and considers hours during which all solicitors can knock on doors.
Speaking of the former ordinance that was repealed, Hunt said, “It was overbroad in that it included non-commercial solicitors — those who are advocating for a political candidate, a position on a political issue, that type of thing. You cannot require them (solicitors of a political nature) to be registered, you cannot prevent them from soliciting funds to support their (political goal).”
Also, the hours of the day during which solicitors can visit homes cannot, according to the courts, be overly restricted.
The new Richmond Heights ordinance allows registered commercial solicitors to visit homes from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. during standard time, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during daylight savings time. Commercial solicitation may not be done on Sundays or holidays.
For non-commercial solicitors, those doing political canvassing, the hours during standard and daylight savings time are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., including Sundays and holidays.
Hunt said that, in some cases, communities that were successfully sued limited non-commercial solicitation to 6 p.m., dinner time to many. But, because many residents were at work during the daytime, little time was afforded for non-commercial solicitors to speak with residents.
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