Still no action on Peddlers ordinance

County commissioners have decided to hold off for a while longer on banning peddling on St. George Island. The commission held a public hearing Tuesday night to consider an ordinance that would have banned peddling not only on the island but from public property countywide. If the measure had passed the only people that would have been allowed to peddle from public property would be three businesses which purchased peddlers licenses in 2008 and in 2009. There were a number of concerns raised about the proposal. County commissioners see the issue as a St. George Island problem and they do not want peddlers banned countywide. Commissioner Cheryl Sanders pointed out that as times get tough she expects more residents are going to want to make extra money by selling from roadsides. There were also concerns about who would be grandfathered in once peddlers are banned. Eastpoint resident Dale Phipps said under the proposed ordinance he would be kept from peddling, even though he has purchased a peddlers license in the past and has invested thousands of dollars into his portable food trailer. County commissioners say the purpose of banning peddling on St. George Island is to keep short term salesmen from showing up on weekends during the summer and taking customers from established businesses. But that, they said is not what the proposed ordinance would do. Commissioners asked that the county attorney rewrite the ordinance and limit its scope to only St. George Island; they also want him to consider ways that would allow more local peddlers to be grandfathered in under the new rule. They will reconsider the issue at their second meeting in October.