Street newspaper's request for permission to sell in Ypsilanti Township rejected
The Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees will not permit a street newspaper’s homeless and poor vendors to sell papers along Washtenaw Avenue.
Groundcover News asked the Board of Trustees to approve a peddlers' permit so its vendors could offer their papers on the township's public property.
The board rejected the request this week by a vote of 6-1. Clerk Karen Lovejoy-Roe was the lone vote for granting the permit.
The board tabled a request from Groundcover a month ago so township staff could gather more information about the paper.
Greg Hoffman, a representative from Groundcover, explained the paper is sold by “housing insecure” residents, which means people who are homeless, people who are unemployed and at risk of eviction, or those receiving government assistance but still in need of additional income.
A recent issue of Groundcover
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
Vendors purchase copies of Groundcover from the organization for 25 cents and sell for a suggested donation price of $1. Hoffman said vendors would stay on sidewalks and public egresses at the exits of fast food restaurants, for example.
Its 100 or so vendors sell in Dexter, Ann Arbor, Pittsfield Township and Ypsilanti. Around 25 vendors sell daily.
Board members expressed skepticism that such a business model would work in Ypsilanti Township where there is little foot traffic and vendors would mostly have to hand the papers off to people in cars coming out of businesses. Among the concerns was that it could potentially cause accidents and disrupt traffic along a busy corridor.
“I’m not real comfortable. I appreciate what they’re doing, but I'm not comfortable,” Supervisor Brenda Stumbo said.
The vendors have been most successful in Ann Arbor where there is heavy foot traffic, but Hoffman and several vendors who spoke to the board on Friday said the paper is growing quickly and vendors selling the paper are starting to saturate the Ann Arbor market.
The paper was launched in June 2010 and held a circulation of 3,500 several months ago, but that has grown to 6,000, Hoffman said. He said street newspapers are gaining popularity in large, urban areas because they allow poor or homeless individuals to work for money rather than simply panhandling.
Vendors are not permitted to ask for more than $1, Hoffman said, but he added customers often give tips. There is no set amount of papers vendors need to buy. Some buy just a few, while others buy and sell hundreds per week, Hoffman said.
“It increases the opportunity for people to take command of their financial situation and become self-sustainable through this employment opportunity,” he said.
Groundcover, a 501c3 nonprofit, provides vendors with incentives based on the number of papers they sell. Some vendors set up at one spot regularly while others change locations, and most sell during the afternoon and evening.
Volunteers with the paper and local community members contribute articles, poetry and essays to the paper.
Groundcover isn’t a unique model, but it is unique in that it is sold and successful in a less populated area than other street newspapers, Hoffman said.
But Trustee Mike Martin said he was wary of the program and said Ypsilanti Township is inherently different from Ann Arbor.
“We don’t have a downtown area. How and where would you be successful?” he asked. “How is this going to impact residents as far as safety and traffic flow? I can't really at this point …. I want these folks to be successful and to strive to do so. But in order to do so, they have to be in the right environment. I don’t know if the township is the right environment.”
Trustee Scott Martin and Treasurer Larry Doe both said they are uncomfortable when they stop at a traffic light and are approached by a panhandler. They said they feared motorists pulling out of fast food restaurants or stores along Washtenaw Avenue might feel the same and that could lead to a dangerous situation.
“Rather than take the time to ensure traffic is clear, I have a tendency to want to pull out right away,” Doe said. “That could cause an accident.”
Lovejoy-Roe put forth a motion to give Groundcover a 30 day trial period, but that found no support.
Board members also questioned why more vendors weren’t taking advantage of being permitted to sell papers in Pittsfield Township, which shares that portion of the Washtenaw Ave. corridor with Ypsilanti Township.
Hoffman said some have, but there is some concern among vendors about where Pittsfield Township ends and Ypsilanti Township starts.
James Woods is a Groundcover vendor who lives in Pittsfield Township and said he has sold there on several occasions with some success.
“I got a good response in Pittsfield,” he said. “People got the paper, and a couple thanked me because it’s a good paper."
He underscored that the paper is expanding and the approximately 100 vendors working for Groundcover need new areas to sell.
“We are trying to expand so it’s more lucrative for the vendors,” he said. “It’s a small business for the contractors, and the paper has a lot to offer.”
But board members remained skeptical.
“Bring back a positive model and say ‘This is how we can make it work in Ypsilanti Township’. Then I would be more inclined to buy into a temporary or trial period,” Trustee Mike Martin said.
After the meeting, Hoffman and Woods said they planned to start pushing for vendors to work more in Pittsfield Township and would come back to the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees if they were successful.
Comments
Susan Beckett
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 1:45 a.m.
As publisher of Groundcover News, I'd like to clear up misconceptions in some of the comments. Those offering Groundcover to prospective customers in vehicles will be located on sidewalks or, in their absence, rights of way, between the parking lot of an establishment and the street. They will have signs so customers can decide ahead of time whether or not they are interested. Our vendors will not approach cars unless the driver in some way indicates they should. The last thing we want to do is harass or endanger people. People selling Groundcover are working. They would love to have secure, full-time employment. While many do not sleep in the rough, their unstable situation couch surfing or renting a room by the week, makes it even more difficult for them to gain regular employment. Some are dealing with challenges that prevent them from working regular or sustained hours. With Groundcover, they can work when they are able. Those who treat this as a full-time job do make enough to lease a room or small apartment and are moving toward mainstream employment. Selling, especially on the street, is hard work. These people are looking for a hand-up, not a handout, and are proud to sell a product they believe in and often contribute to as writers. If there are no homeless people in Ypsilanti Township, that is probably because those in dire circumstances relocated to Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti where there are services for those in need.
lefty48197
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:12 p.m.
I'd never heard of this newspaper before. Now I want to read one. What you say? They're for sale along the stretch of Washtenaw Ave in Pittsfield Twp? I guess I'll drive there from my home in Ypsi Twp and buy a copy. And maybe I'll shop at one of the stores while I'm there.
Bruce Madej
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 9:10 p.m.
Let me get this straight, selling newspapers on sidewalks is bad for business or is it bad because the people selling the papers are homeless...how about something like a newspaper stand? Could something like this work--for both the homeless and the newspaper business? I agree, you don't want vendors in the street and the 'in your face' sales tactic is not appealing but heck, coffee shops have made a comeback, why not newspaper stands. It worked before, why not now. I love the link. http://www.vancouversun.com/7140565.bin
rs
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 7:16 p.m.
The business plan sounds a little ambitious for homeless in our area. Unless the job involves sitting at Liberty & State asking for change or standing on an expressway off ramp holding a sign, I don't think these are the people you want as your workforce.
ArthGuinness
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 6:30 p.m.
I buy one occasionally, and read it. It's not Shakespeare, but it's a different perspective and I think it's good to read a different perspective once in a while.
djacks24
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 4:25 p.m.
No Thanks.
A2Dave
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 3:49 p.m.
"I'm all for it, but NIMBY!" Ypsi is such a prime area to start with, right? Have there been any complaints in Ann Arbor?
Unusual Suspect
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 3:47 p.m.
I've read a copy of this, and after seeing it full of Snyder-bashing complaints about their situation, I'd say covering ground is all it's good for. It's too bad, because with the foolish killing of the Ann Arbor News (and local journalism along with it) I would go for a physical newspaper to read, even if it's a small one. But I'm not interested in the drivel I've seen in it so far. Produce something that more people would like to read, and more people will buy it.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 4:28 p.m.
Snyder bashing? Wow. Can I get a subscription?!
slave2work
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 2:40 p.m.
I agree with the not wanting them to sell the papers at traffic lights .. but it just seems like there has to be a middle ground. Homeless and those that are struggling need some purpose too. Maybe this would get them food for the day, a hot cup of coffee. I don't know, but it seems like there should be some way to allow it in certain places.
YpsiLarry
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 2:27 p.m.
Of course they can just beg, anti-panhandling ordinances have been repeatedly struck down by the courts, but if they offer something in exchange for your money we can't have that! And yes, there are lots of areas that are good for this activity; Washtenaw Ave, Michigan Ave both east and west of the city of Ypsilanti as well as the Ecorse road area.
lefty48197
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 11:18 p.m.
No kidding. What about letting them sell next to a bus stop along Washtenaw. What's wrong with that?
shipdog7
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 2:24 p.m.
Whats really going on here folks. Instead of cleaning your windshield you will have the option of purchasing a newspaper that you have no intention of reading. But it will make the person you are buying from proud to be an entrepreneur? And that seventy five cents profit will be used for what? Buy a new home? A car? Why not stand in the road and wave at us as we stop for a traffic light? Oh....that would be illegal. Only good causes can do that. And this isn't one of them? The next time I see a person standing at a light looking for donations I will ask them to please get on the sidewalk. You are disrupting traffic. Homeless aren't allowed to do it why should you.
nickcarraweigh
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 1:36 p.m.
There really isn't enough foot traffic for street vendors to survive, so the Township's point seems valid. But the real story here is the unimaginable valor and thrilling bravery of the street vendors themselves, willing to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and support the American way on the streets of Ypsilanti Twp., all the while knowingly at hazard from the frequent crossfire between feuding residents
djacks24
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 5:20 p.m.
Voting is also a part of the American way. It was voted on and by an almost landslide majority was voted down. By the way, Nobody appreciates yet another jab at Ypsi except maybe the 9 Ann Arborites that voted you up.
ypsituckian
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 1:33 p.m.
Hey, if they are already selling them in Ypsilanti, Dexter, Ann Arbor - places that have a downtown area and foot traffic, I think it is wise for the Township Board to say 'no thank you'. I very much dislike it when people stand by intersections demanding attention from drivers who should be concentrating on the road. It is a safety hazard. I'm happy with the Board's decision to deny the permit.
dading dont delete me bro
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 1:33 p.m.
i vote no
Ron Granger
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 1:31 p.m.
This model works in other cities. It puts people to work. They must buy the papers they sell. It is also a job that many disabled persons can do. People regularly buy from the same vendor, so there is even some loyalty. The sky is not falling. They just want their chance to sell a product like anyone else.
xmo
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 1:15 p.m.
Please don't make the Homeless work, it will ruin their Non-Work ethic! Nobody wants a homeless person in front of their business or in front of their residence. Why do we still have a Homeless problem with all of the great facilities we have for the Homeless?
Are you serious?
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 12:22 p.m.
"Rather than take the time to ensure traffic is clear, I have a tendency to want to pull out right away," Doe said. "That could cause an accident." So Doe is admitting that he is careless - priceless. Sounds like Doe is already creating a "dangerous situation." "We don't have a downtown area. How and where would you be successful?" he asked. "How is this going to impact residents as far as safety and traffic flow? I can't really at this point …. I want these folks to be successful and to strive to do so. But in order to do so, they have to be in the right environment. I don't know if the township is the right environment." Mike Martin Maybe the idea of a 30 day trial period would answer that question,
ArthGuinness
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 6:29 p.m.
That quote was priceless. I know what he was saying, but it didn't come out well.
Billy
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 12:50 p.m.
You're right that the actual problem is the unsafe driving behavior....HOWEVER if you try to rest all responsibility in this situation with the driver you're being too idealist. The reality is that there are a lot of terrible drivers out there that would do the exact same thing...and that has to be taken into consideration with this. Also...it's BEYOND rude and invasive for someone to approach a car leaving a parking lot and entering a roadway...JUST TO SELL SOMETHING. Anyone who was remotely considering that as a viable way to "sell" this rag shouldn't even be given the time of day in regards to this issue.
Billy
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 11:34 a.m.
"He said street newspapers are gaining popularity in large, urban areas because the allow poor or homeless individuals to work for money rather than simply panhandling." Popularity with WHO? The residents of the area or the transients in the area?
missmisery
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 10:52 a.m.
There are no homeless people in Ypsilanti Township. Unless you consider that family squatting in that overpriced and now forclosed home over on ValleyView.
Barzoom
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 : 10:45 a.m.
People will avoid the businesses where the papers are being sold. No one wants to be harassed going in or out of a business or restaurant. The people "selling" these papers can be very insistent.