County considers ending peddling on St. George Island

County commissioners are considering a move that could shut down peddlers on St. George Island. Every year, especially during the summer, peddlers show up to sell their wares to the crowds of people that visit St. George Island’s beaches. The county has a 13 year old peddler’s ordinance that requires people to pay a fee and to stay in certain areas near the public beach – but for the most part that ordinance is ignored. Most of the peddlers show up on weekends when the crowds are biggest and county enforcement is weakest and they are generally gone again by Monday morning. That has business owners on St. George Island upset, because the peddlers are taking their customers and the peddlers don’t have to meet any of the expensive requirements that normal businesses do. The county is now considering doing away completely with the peddlers ordinance and that way police can just run off anyone they see peddling anywhere on St. George Island. The commission would like to make two exceptions for Doug McKinney and Dale Carmichael, both of whom sell seafood on St. George Island and have for many years – but they aren’t sure they can legally do so. County attorney Michael Shuler is investigating the issue but if the county can’t allow the exceptions they say they will likely still end all peddling from public property on the island.