Spring Lake Park limits how freebie newspapers are delivered

Irked by unwanted freebie newspapers piling up on driveways and curbs, the city of Spring Lake Park has limited how they can be distributed.

The City Council unanimously passed the new nuisance ordinance earlier this month. It says "unsolicited written material" must be delivered in one of the following ways:

• Placed in a newspaper box.

• Placed on the front porch.

• Secured to the front door.

• Placed between the screen door and front door.

• Dropped in a mail slot, or

In addition, it's now "unlawful" to place unsolicited written materials on any street, sidewalk or public right of way. Failing to follow the rules could carry a misdemeanor penalty.

Council Member Bill Nash championed the ordinance, saying some residents had complained about freebie papers stacking up, getting caught in snowblower blades and littering streets. Some residents' previous efforts to cancel delivery also failed, he said.

"It's important to note, for those of us that appreciate the First Amendment, the proposed ordinance does not prevent the placement of unsolicited written materials on the property. It only specifies where those materials must be placed," City Administrator Daniel Buchholtz said.

The ordinance does not apply to the U.S. Postal Service.

During a March City Council meeting, Nash said delivery of StribExpress, a Star Tribune publication, is what prompted him to action.

A pile of papers at the end of the driveway creates a litter problem and can signal to thieves that someone is not home, he said.

Steve Yaeger, the Star Tribune's vice president of marketing and public relations, had this response: "After we were notified of the ordinance change, we explained to the City of Spring Lake Park that our StribExpress publication is not 'unsolicited written materials' as defined in the ordinance. In fact, it is delivered only to residents who have specifically elected to receive it and authorized us to deliver it to them. We're puzzled as to why the city wants to hinder delivery of a publication some of its residents have specifically requested. Unfortunately, our calls and letters to the city administrator have gone unanswered."

Buchholtz said the goal isn't to prevent distribution, but rather to ensure that companies honor residents' requests to be taken off distribution lists. "Residents tells me they don't remember subscribing to it," he said. They also say that requests to stop delivery have been ignored, he said.

"Unfortunately, with the number of newspapers we deliver each day and the hundreds of carriers involved, mistakes happen," Yaeger said.

Yaeger said that upon request, the Star Tribune will install newspaper delivery tubes for free.