The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this division, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Political advocacy solicitations
means any course of conduct whereby any person shall solicit property or financial assistance of any kind or sell or offer to sell any organization membership in anything of value [sic] and/or to promote the communication of information, to effect the dissemination and propagation of views and ideas and the advocacy of causes, including but not limited to solicitation of money, services or assistance to promote any political candidate or political party.
(1999 Code, sec. 74-121)
It shall be unlawful to conduct any political advocacy solicitations on the streets, in any office building or any other public or private place, [or] by house-to-house canvass in the city unless the person conducting and responsible for such solicitations shall first have registered with the city in compliance with the terms of this division.
(1999 Code, sec. 74-122)
The provisions of this division shall not apply to:
(1) 
Any organization which solicits funds solely from its own members or from its own assemblies, not using public streets or public places for such purposes;
(2) 
Any public school which controls the solicitations of funds by parent-teacher association organizations and the solicitations of funds by other activity groups which may be sponsored by the public school or by an association or club whose primary purpose is to sponsor certain student and parent activities for the benefit of such association, club or activity;
(3) 
Any solicitation for the benefit of an individual or family that has suffered a personal tragedy resulting from personal injury, illness or the loss of housing; and
(4) 
Any solicitations campaign conducted through the use of television or radio as to those activities directly related to the use of television or radio.
(1999 Code, sec. 74-123)
(a) 
Required information.
A person or organization desiring to conduct a political advocacy solicitation on the streets or in any public place or by house-to-house canvass in the city shall file an application provided by the office of the city administrator with the city secretary’s office. Such registration statement shall be sworn to by the applicant and shall contain at least the following information:
(1) 
The full name of the organization applying for a permit to solicit and the address of the headquarters in the city; if the organization is a chapter or other affiliate of an organization having its principal office outside the city, the name and address of the parent organization;
(2) 
The names and addresses of all officers and directors or trustees of the organization and the name and city of residence of all officers, directors or trustees of the parent organization, if any;
(3) 
The purposes for which the gross receipts derived from such solicitations or other activities are to be used;
(4) 
The name of the person by whom the receipts or such solicitation shall be disbursed; if the receipts are transmitted to a parent organization for further disbursement, detailed information on the methods of handling and disbursement of all funds and a detailed and complete financial statement of the parent organization for the last preceding fiscal year;
(5) 
The name and address of the person who will be in charge of conducting the political advocacy solicitations;
(6) 
An outline of the methods to be used in conducting the political advocacy solicitations;
(7) 
The period within which such political advocacy solicitations shall be conducted, including the proposed dates for the beginning and ending of such solicitations;
(8) 
The total amount of funds proposed to be raised;
(9) 
If the applicant is a tax-exempt charitable corporation or otherwise a tax-exempt organization, proof of its current tax-exempt status;
(10) 
A physical description of the applicant or any agents of the applicant, which includes race, sex, height, weight, hair and eye color, date of birth, driver’s license number, and the name of the state issuing the driver’s license;
(11) 
A description of any vehicle to be used by the applicant or its agents; and
(12) 
An itinerary to be used by the applicant or his agents, including a street map highlighted to show actual routes to be used by such applicant and his agents in any solicitations within the corporate limits of the city.
(b) 
Proof of authority.
Such applicant shall also show satisfactory proof of his authority to represent the company or individual such applicant states that he represents, and such proof shall be in writing.
(c) 
Master registration.
Where any individual, association, company or corporation will be represented by more than 15 individuals serving as solicitors, such individual, association, company or corporation may apply for a master registration to solicit, in lieu of each individual obtaining a permit to solicit. The application for this master registration will include all the information requested in subsection (a) of this section, except subsections (a)(4) and (a)(9) [(a)(10)]. The applicant will maintain at all times a list containing the names and addresses of individuals soliciting under the master registration. This list will be made available to the city administrator or his designee upon request during regular business hours.
(d) 
Issuance of permit.
Upon receiving a complete application, the city administrator shall issue the appropriate permit.
(1999 Code, sec. 74-124)
(a) 
The city administrator shall register an applicant under this division unless he determines that:
(1) 
One or more of the statements made in the registration application are not true;
(2) 
The applicant or person in charge of the political advocacy solicitations has made or caused to be made false statements or misrepresentations to any member of the public with regard to the political advocacy solicitations or other activities described in the registration, or has made or caused to be made false statements or misrepresentations in the registration application, or has in any way publicly represented that the registration granted under this division is an endorsement or recommendation of the cause for which the political advocacy solicitations is being conducted or has otherwise violated any of the terms of registration or this division; or
(3) 
Under a prior registration obtained from the city, the applicant failed to submit the required reports at the end of the solicitations.
(b) 
The applicant shall pay a fee as set forth in the fee schedule in appendix A of this code.
(1999 Code, sec. 74-125; Ordinance adopting 2018 Code)
A registration issued under this division shall be for a six-month period. At the end of that time, the applicant may apply for an extension of the registration on a form supplied to him by the city
administrator’s office. This form may require the submission of the same information that was required in the original application, or only portions of that information.
(1999 Code, sec. 74-126)
Should an applicant under this division have a registration revoked, he may appeal that action to the city council by submitting a letter to the city administrator’s office within ten days of the action complained of. A hearing on the revocation will then be scheduled for the next regular meeting of the council, or a special meeting of the council, to be held within 15 days of the appeal. The council will render a decision on the appeal within ten days of the hearing. The council may grant waivers of the provisions of this division upon a showing of good cause.
(1999 Code, sec. 74-127)
All persons or organizations issued a registration under this division shall furnish to the city administrator, within 30 days after the political advocacy solicitation has been completed, a detailed report and financial statement showing the amount of funds raised by the political advocacy solicitations and the amount expended in collecting such funds; however, the city administrator may extend the time of filing of the report required by this section for an additional period of 30 days upon proof that the filing of the report within the time specified will work unnecessary hardship on the registered organization. The registrant shall make available to the city administrator, or to any person designated in writing by the city administrator as his representative for such purpose, all books, records and papers whereby the accuracy of the report required by this section may be investigated.
(1999 Code, sec. 74-128)
(a) 
All permittees under this division shall furnish proper credentials to their agents and solicitors for such political advocacy solicitations. Such credentials shall include the name of the registrant, the date, a statement describing the registrant’s political advocacy solicitations, a description of the purpose of the solicitation, the signature of the registrant or of the registrant’s chief executive officer, and the name, address, age, sex and signature of the solicitor to whom such credentials are issued and the specific period of time during which the solicitor is authorized to solicit on behalf of the permittee. No person shall solicit under any permit granted under this division without the credentials required by this section and a facsimile copy of the permit in his possession. The credentials and facsimile copy of the registration shall be shown, upon request, to all persons solicited and to any police officer of the city.
(b) 
No agent or solicitor shall conduct or participate in any political advocacy solicitations except under a valid permit issued in compliance with this division.
(1999 Code, sec. 74-129)
The registrant for a political advocacy solicitation shall be responsible for the acts of his authorized representatives in connection with such solicitation.
(1999 Code, sec. 74-130)