Proposed ordinance would require permit to sell Girl Scout cookies door-to-door

SNELLVILLE, Ga. — Anyone who wants to sell something door-to-door in one Gwinnett County city may soon need a permit.
 
A new ordinance being considered by the Snellville City Council might also require permits for scouts and school kids. 
 
The city says it's about holding solicitors accountable after residents of some neighborhoods have had problems.
 
"People come door-to-door after hail storms or during the spring months to solicit, we want to make sure that those who are coming to sell something in our city, that we have a way to make them accountable and keep tabs on them," Snellville spokesman Brian Arrington said.
 
If the ordinance, sponsored by Councilwoman Diane Krause, goes through, anyone wanting to sell something door-to-door would have to go to the police to get a permit.
 
The application process would include a background check.
 
As the ordinance now stands, it would include parents of kids trying to raise money for school or the Girl and Boy Scouts. They would have to accompany their children, as well.
 
"The parents would be the ones to come to the police station themselves to actually get registered," Arrington said.
 
But would filling out forms and registering with police create too much of a burden for parents of kids trying to raise money for charity?
 
The city and supporters of the plan say they would work to avoid that.
 
This is not to stop the Girl Scouts or the Boy Scouts," said Tricia Rawlings of Snellville's neighborhood alert program.
 
Rawlins said she is all for the proposal.
 
She believes it would hold solicitors accountable and reduce incidents of roaming solicitors victimizing elderly residents.
 
"We had a neighborhood recently where a lady, an elderly lady, was out talking to a solicitor giving all her information, even wrote her Social Security number on a piece of paper," Rawlins said. "We have people going door-to-door without any identification and sometimes it's late at night and dark outside. People are scared."
 
The proposal for the ordinance is in the very early stage. It would be at least a couple months before it could come up for a vote.
 
The city said it will give residents plenty of time for input.

WSBTV