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MAPLETON, Utah (AP) -- Mapleton has started a no-knock list for residents who don't want visits from door-to-door peddlers.
City officials also are urging such residents to post "no solicitations" signs.
They hope those measures that will strike a balance that will allow solicitors to do their job while keeping uninterested residents happy.
"Basically it's a system adopted in some other cities for residents that don't want to be bothered by solicitors," said City Administrator Bob Bradshaw. "We'll pass that list over to salesman, like a 'no call' list."
Each salesman who picks up a temporary business license for $50 and completes a limited background check will be provided with the list of addresses and names.
So far the opt-out list in Mapleton is still small, with only about 20 households joining, Bradshaw said
Draper created a do-not-contact list for residents earlier this year. As of early February, about 300 people had asked to be on the list.
Kirby vacuum-cleaner distributors have sued about two dozen Utah communities for solicitation restrictions. Mapleton was not among them.
However, plaintiffs' attorney Craig L. Taylor said the opt-out list raises questions about First Amendment rights.
"We don't have a problem with the individuals being able to make that determination for themselves," Taylor said. "But it's got to be workable for the people exercising their First Amendment rights."
Taylor said depending on how Mapleton organizes those lists, it could be a hindrance to salesman and their rights -- especially if they have to go over the list every time they start a new street.
He believes there is a better way for residents to opt out.
"The simplest way is to put a no solicitation sign on their door," he added. "That way they can accomplish their government objectives through a less restrictive means."
City officials said they recently amended their ordinance regarding door-to-door sales to be less cumbersome for both the city and the companies doing the sales, and they hope the opt-out list aids that effort.
"We'd like to accommodate people that are trying to make a living," said Mayor Dean Allan. "But by the same token, citizens complain about people bothering them with sales. We'd like to make it so it's workable both for the salesmen and the public."
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
