It shall be illegal for any person, firm, group, organization, or other entity to
beg, panhandle, solicit, or to sell goods, wares, or any other objects or services
within any public buildings or on the grounds, sidewalks, parks, or other lands owned
by or under the control of the city, its agencies, authorities, commissions, boards,
bureaus, or other city entities ("city properties"). No person on city properties,
may engage publicly in any commercial activity or sale of goods or services, the public
solicitation of commercial activity or sale of goods or services, or begging, panhandling,
or other public solicitation of funds for any purpose or public distribution of literature.
Any person who violates this shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Provided, however,
sale of goods, wares or other objects, or public distribution of literature, when
incidental and collateral to free speech activity otherwise permitted in a designated
public forum, is not prohibited, but is subject to reasonable time, place and manner
regulation.
This section is cumulative of O.C.G.A. Charitable organizations registered per O.C.G.A.
§ 43-17-5 and such organizations exempt from registration per O.C.G.A. § 43-17-9 are
authorized to solicit for contributions on streets and highways, subject to compliance
with this section. Charitable organizations seeking a permit shall file an application
with the clerk, which shall include name, address and telephone number of organization,
officers of the organization, date(s), time(s) and places(s) of proposed solicitation
and must include an agreement by the organization to hold harmless and indemnify the
county from liability for damage or injury arising out of the solicitation. Such application
must be executed by an authorized officer of said organization. Such organization
must provide a copy of the declaration page of an insurance policy which provides
liability insurance coverage, with limits of at least $1,000,000.00 per occurrence,
for the solicitation. Such policy shall include an endorsement listing the city as
a named insured. The cost of the permit for solicitation shall be $10.00 per day.
Solicitation for contributions on the streets and highways contrary to this section
is a misdemeanor and may be punished by a fine not to exceed $100.00 per violation,
each instance being considered a separate violation.
