Hanover defers action on solicitation ordinance

After a discussion that seemed to go in circles, the Hanover County Board of Supervisors last night voted 4-3 to defer action on a proposed solicitation ordinance.

Board Vice Chairman G. Ed Via III, as well as board members Aubrey M. Stanley and Elton J. Wade Sr., voted against the motion.

The proposed ordinance presented last night would have allowed the county to prohibit or regulate the distribution of handbills or similar materials, the solicitation of contributions and the sale of merchandise or services on public roads and private roads designated as highways.

Henrico County adopted a solicitation ordinance in 2008, and as a result, solicitors migrate into Hanover during major events at the Richmond Raceway Complex, said County Attorney Sterling E. Rives III. There also have been complaints from Hanover residents about youths who solicit money for car washes and other fundraisers.

With last night's action, the board asked staff to come back in November with a new proposal that includes a permit process for groups such as firefighters, who routinely seek donations in roadways.

Getting to the vote, however, generated discussion among board members about whether there should be a permit process at all if the goal of the ordinance is to prohibit roadway solicitors for safety reasons.

"I don't see how we can get away with picking and choosing" who can get a permit, Via said.

Board member Charles D. McGhee suggested that maybe the ordinance wasn't needed at all if some groups would still be allowed to solicit with a permit.

Chairman John E. Gordon Jr. thought the ordinance was appropriate for safety reasons. He said, though, that a restrictive permit process could work within the ordinance if the applicant outlined safety measures to be taken and operated infrequently.

During a public hearing before the vote, the board heard from several people representing the Muscular Dystrophy Association. They were opposed to the ordinance because Hanover Fire/EMS personnel participate in annual activities that raise money for people with muscular dystrophy.

Rives said earlier in the evening that he didn't incorporate a permit policy into the ordinance when drafting it so the county wouldn't be making a determination about who can solicit and who can't.

The board will set a date next month for a public hearing on the new ordinance, which likely will be in December.

Contact Holly Prestidge at (804) 649-6945 or .