Alarm company asks city to change rules
Published 12:00 am Thursday, August 5, 2010
A representative of APX Alarm, a Wyoming company that wants to sell alarm systems door-to-door in Andalusia, on Tuesday appeared before the city council to question a 1968 ordinance prohibiting such sales.
Jay Sallan, who described himself as a legal clerk for APX Alarm and a law student, told the council he feels the ordinance in unconstitutional and asked not only that ordinance be changed, but that the city make a special exception for his company until such time as the ordinance can be changed.
Sallan cited several court cases, and said while the city “is free to place restrictions on the practice of door-to-door solicitation, it may not enforce an ordinance which completely bans the practice.”
Mayor Earl Johnson explained to Sallan that he, too, is an attorney and that he is aware of court rulings in other cases.
“This is an old ordinance and a lot has changed since that time,” Johnson said. “Frankly, no issue has been brought up about it here, so we haven’t reviewed it.”
Johnson assured Sallan that the council will review the ordinance and bring the local laws in line with court rulings.
“And we’ll do it in a timely manner,” he said.
Johnson explained to the council that there are a number of things they can do in crafting a new ordinance to limit door-to-door solicitation.
“You’ve heard of a do not call list, we can craft our ordinance with a do not knock list,” Johnson said.
In other business, the council:
• Agreed to join the Utilities Board and the city Industrial Development board in making application for a $1.5 million EDA grant with which to install a new water well, water lines and sewerage improvements in the industrial park.