San Gabriel Valley : City Takes Look at Stopping Deluge of Fliers to Residents

Fed up with all those fliers, door hangers and assorted pizza promoters on your doorstep? If you live in Pasadena you may be in luck.

Pasadena Councilman Paul Little wants to give Pasadena residents the power to stop those fliers from Pasadena’s thriving food delivery industry.

“People should be able to say, ‘No, thank you,’ ” said Little. “Residents must be able opt out of these junk fliers.”

His City Council colleagues agreed this week to have the city attorney examine what can be done to stop the so-called junk fliers, including whether the city should implement a law similar to one in Beverly Hills allowing residents to stop delivery of unwanted leaflets. Under such a law, it would be a misdemeanor to deliver to people who indicated they do not want such fliers.

Councilman Chris Holden said many of these companies are local and any law should be drafted after a discussion with them.

Nonetheless, Little said that unlike newspapers, which can be canceled when residents are away, the fliers keep coming and mount up, leaving a clear sign to burglars.

“The only effective way [to prevent this] is to hire a neighbor,” said Councilman William E. Thomson Jr.

Mayor Bill Paparian said that when he once went away he asked a neighbor to keep an eye on his home. When he returned, a big eye was drawn on his front door. Both he and neighbor have since moved, he added.

Ironically, Little used paper door hangers in his last council campaign.