City to reveiw newspaper delivery practices

Salem City Council on Monday will review a proposed ordinance — first drafted in 2011 — that was written in response to neighborhood complaints about how the Statesman Journal delivers its free, weekly community newspapers.

Complaints about free newspapers being tossed on lawns and sidewalks and stacking up around vacant homes are nothing new. The council has held deliberations about an ordinance to regulate the delivery of unsolicited written materials six times since 2012.

Now, the issue is back on the agenda for the seventh time.

Salem City Councilor Chuck Bennett said that in the past month he's noticed an uptick in citizen complaints about newspapers becoming litter. He has also observed the problem himself.

"I drove around and saw them scattered all over my ward," Bennett said. "It was an absolute mess."

Statesman Journal officials have told the city that the media company will work to reduce complaints about its delivery practices. Bennett said he was optimistic that creating a new law won't be necessary.

On Monday, the city council will review an ordinance that would require unsolicited written materials to be placed on, or near, the front porch or door of a residence. Distributors also would be required to honor requests not to deliver unsolicited written materials.

Moreover, the city could impose fines of up to $250, per offense, if the written material was improperly distributed.

Since January 2012, the council has stopped short of enacting a new law to regulate how unsolicited written materials are delivered. Instead, the council has voted to continue deliberations and review the issue every six months.

"What we have agreed to do is hold off and give the Statesman Journal time to kind of clean up their act, and they have," Bennett said.

City staff have recommended that the council, once again, not enact the proposed ordinance.

Budget cuts have reduced the number of city compliance officers to respond to complaints. Enforcement of new ordinance for unsolicited written materials would mean city compliance officers would have less time to deal with other issues, according to a city staff report.

Public meeting

Salem City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday in council chambers, Vern Miller Civic Center, 555 Liberty St. SE.