Earlier this week, all of us on the Town Board unanimously passed an amendment to the Town's door to door solicitation law. The new amendment creates a "Do Not Knock" Registry which any town resident can now sign up for.
If you are bothered by pushy sales people coming to your home, you now have an option to avoid this nuisance.
Q: What is the Do Not Knock Registry?
A. For years Orangetown, like most municipalities, has required door to door solicitors engaged in for-profit business to obtain a permit from the Town Clerk (which includes a police background check). Now, all solicitors who get permits from the Town will be given a list of addresses that have enrolled on the Do Not Knock Registry and which they may not solicit at. Violators will face steep fines.
Q. How can I sign up for the Do Not Knock Registry?
A. The best way to sign up is to stop by the Town Clerk's office in Town Hall and put your address on the list. You'll also receive a free decal to display by your door which will alert solicitors that your home or business is on the Do Not Knock Registry. Another way to sign up is by emailing Town Clerk Charlotte Madigan's office at
[email protected]. Please use the subject line "Do Not Knock Registry Signup" and be sure to include your full address in the body of the email. You can also call the Clerk's office at 359-5100 to sign up or find out more about the law.
Q. Will this keep missionaries from knocking on my door?
A. No it won't. Individuals who are not engaging in any type of commercial transaction have never needed a permit from the Town to go door to door, so they are not impacted by this law. Courts have held that towns may not restrict door to door canvassing by missionaries or political candidates.
Q. Will this make trick or treating illegal, or make it impossible for Girl Scouts and other local groups to raise money?
A. This law will not impact the activities of Girl Scouts or other local charitable groups. Under town law, individuals going door to door to raise money for a civic or social group (e.g. Girl Scouts, Elks Club, VFW posts) that has a location in Orangetown have never needed to get a solicitation permit, so they will not be impacted by this law. Only commercial, for-profit solicitors, are impacted.
Q. What should I do if a solicitor knocks on my door after I sign up for the Do Not Knock Registry?
A. If someone approaches your door in a way that makes you uncomfortable you should call the Orangetown Police at 359-3700 to report the incident. Any commercial solicitor should have a permit from the town clearly displayed. If you see someone acting inappropriately or soliciting without a permit, please contact the police and provide details of the incident.
Q. What if I don't want to be on the Do Not Knock Registry?
A. The Do Not Knock Registry is entirely voluntary. If you choose not to sign up for the Registry you will be unaffected by this law.
Other Important Updates
The Thruway Authority has announced that 3 lanes on the westbound TZ Bridge (heading towards Rockland) will be closed from 9pm on Friday, April 29 until 2pm on Saturday, April 30, and from 9pm Saturday, April 30 to 2pm on Sunday, May 1. Since only one lane will be open, the Thruway Authority is warning of "severe delays" and strongly urging drivers to avoid traveling across the bridge during these times. No lanes on the Westchester bound side of the bridge will be closed.
There is still time to join the Great American Cleanup and join hundreds of other volunteers throughout Rockland who are helping to pick up trash and make our community look great!
Remember, if none of these cleanups suits your schedule, or you want to participate in cleaning up a community that is not listed here (Grandview, Orangeburg, Piermont, Palisades, South Nyack) you can create your own cleanup event. Visit the Keep Rockland Beautiful
website to find out how.
