The Little Rock Board of Directors could not vote on a proposed solicitation ban Tuesday because there weren't enough board members in attendance to do so.
State law requires governing bodies to read an ordinance three times at three separate meetings before voting, but that rule may be waived with agreement to suspend it from at least eight people on the 10-member Little Rock board.
Attendance Tuesday night dropped to seven city directors when Erma Hendrix left early. City Directors Kathy Webb and Dean Kumpuris were absent.
The board will take up the matter again at Tuesday's 4 p.m. agenda-setting meeting at City Hall with plans to vote on the proposal, which aims to make in-street solicitation illegal in the capital city.
The proposed ban comes after what city officials called an influx of groups on roadways asking motorists for money. Officials said many groups practice unsafe techniques, such as sending children in between cars to collect donations.
The ordinance would prohibit anyone from entering a roadway, median or portion of a public street for the purpose of distributing or soliciting anything from an occupant of a vehicle.
People still could pass out items or receive donations from public places such as sidewalks.
Renee Buchholtz, who volunteers with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, spoke against the ban Tuesday. She said an exception should be made for the annual firefighters fundraiser, the proceeds of which go to the association.
Buchholtz suffers from ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. She had trouble speaking clearly Tuesday but still expressed her opposition to the board.
"I'm glad that we are addressing the soliciting on corners. We have a lot of these posing as charities, and it has to stop," Buchholtz said. "But I'm asking that we punish the thieves and not the entire community."
Richard Morehead, president of the local chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters, also signed up to speak against the ordinance but opted to save his comments until next week, when the board plans to vote.
He said after the meeting that an exception should be made for the volunteer fundraiser that started 60 years ago.
"We work as public safety officials. We understand how to operate in traffic and the streets," Morehead said. "MDA has a huge insurance policy on all of the firefighters who collect, and we only allow firefighters to collect -- not citizens or children."
The ordinance points out solicitors walk from car to car, ask people to roll down their windows and often have children join them.
Such activity "provides a significant safety hazard" to both the solicitors and drivers, the ordinance states.
At an agenda-setting meeting last week, City Attorney Tom Carpenter said he tried to find a way to allow some groups to solicit while banning most of the practice, but he couldn't figure out how to legally do it. Courts have upheld complete bans for public safety reasons, but it would be difficult to say one group can solicit in the roadways when others cannot, he said.
He said he will continue to research the issue with the possibility of taking a proposal before the board at a later date to lift the ban and implement a less restrictive ordinance.
Morehead said he plans to ask the board next week to vote down the complete ban.
"I think our organization has set itself apart from other organizations," he said. "Every dollar we raise goes to MDA. We can account for every dollar we raise. That money stays in our community. That money goes to UAMS for research. That money goes to fund a camp for kids that have muscular dystrophy and for adults with ALS as well."
Metro on 07/08/2015