A. The council finds that aggressive solicitation throughout the city has become or may become extremely disturbing and disruptive to residents and businesses, and has contributed or may contribute not only to the loss of access to and enjoyment of public places, but also to an enhanced sense of fear, intimidation and disorder.
B. Aggressive solicitation usually includes approaching or following pedestrians, repetitive soliciting despite refusals, the use of abusive or profane language to cause fear and intimidation, unwanted physical contact, or the intentional blocking of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The council further finds that the presence of individuals who solicit money from persons at or near banks, automated teller machines, or in public transportation vehicles is especially troublesome because of the enhanced fear of crime in those confined environments. Motorists may also find themselves confronted by persons seeking money who, without permission, wash their automobile windows at traffic intersections, despite explicit indications by drivers not to do so. Such activity carries with it an implicit threat to both persons and property.
C. The council is enacting this chapter pursuant to its police power and statutory authority as set forth in Idaho Code title 50. This law is timely and appropriate because current laws and city regulations are insufficient to address the aforementioned problems.
D. The law is not intended to limit any persons from exercising their constitutional right to solicit funds, picket, protest or engage in other constitutionally protected activity. Rather, its goal is to protect citizens from the fear and intimidation accompanying certain kinds of solicitation that have become an unwelcome and overwhelming presence in the city. (Ord. 494 §1, 1998)