County reworks ordinance banning street solicitation

After almost two years of prohibiting solicitation in the public right-of-way, the Sarasota County Commission is ready to allow exceptions.

Commissioners passed the ordinance banning solicitations on the side of the road or in the medians in February 2013. Expressing concern for safety, the commission specifically banned the obstruction of traffic and exchange of anything between a pedestrian and an occupant of a vehicle.

Now, the county has created a permitting process that would allow solicitations on the first full weekend March, June, September and December. The applicant would have to provide the county with an estimated number of volunteers for each intersection, and participants would have to be at least 18 years old and wear a high-visibility vest. County staff identified eight intersections deemed safe enough to allow the activity, as they have a left turn signal, raised median and traffic lights:

• Center Road and Jacaranda Boulevard;
• Clark Road and U.S. 41;
• SR 776 and Dearborn Street;
• Bee Ridge Road and Beneva Road;
• U.S. 41 Bypass and Venice Avenue;
• Clark Road and Beneva Road;
• Clark Road and Honore Avenue;
• and Fruitville Road and Honore Avenue.

Organizations interested in doing some kind of solicitation need a $10 permit before the activity. The intersections would be permitted individually, so the organization would have to apply for each intersection it wanted to use.

The amendment to the ordinance will be advertised for a public hearing, and county staff advised the commissioners it would probably not return to the agenda until January 2015.

In March, the commission visited the issue to better define the terms of medians, road surfaces and sidewalks; the ordinance resurfaced again in an Aug. 27 meeting.

Representatives from the Muscular Dystrophy Association appeared at the latter meeting to ask the county to create a special exception for charitable efforts.

The organization used to hold a “boot drive” fundraiser in collaboration with the local fire departments on Labor Day weekend, bringing in about $25,000 for its cause. Because of the ordinance’s enactment last year, it was unable to raise that amount.

Merv Kennel, who represented Suncoast Professional Firefighters and Paramedics, spoke to the commissioners at the Aug. 27 meeting about the impact of the fundraisers. He said the firefighters and MDA had partnered for at least 60 years, and he had been involved with the fundraiser for 35.

“People look forward to seeing us. We don’t bang on windows,” he said. “We smile and wave.”

The funds raised had helped develop equipment for people with muscular dystrophy, he said.

“The gains that have happened through the efforts that are made once a year over a weekend are just unbelievable,” Kennel said. “I implore you to consider an option; I’m asking you not to close the door.”