Charity tables can stay in downtown Iowa City, but with more rules

Nonprofit organizations will be able to continue to set up tables in the Pedestrian Mall, but they'll likely face more rules, including not being able to sell items.

City Council members said at a work session Monday night that they are not interested in banning nonprofits, many of them charities, from staffing tables on the section of downtown known as the Pedestrian Mall, or City Plaza.

“They do add to the public-forum atmosphere downtown,” council member Mike Wright said.

Staff had recommended the tables no longer be allowed, saying processing the requests takes a significant amount of time and has become difficult to decide who or what organization is allowed. Currently, permission is needed to put up a table and only people or groups that use them for non-commercial purposes are approved.

Assistant City Manager Dale Helling said the intent of the proposal was to keep the Ped Mall a place of “activity and entertainment … but also to make sure it's a comfortable place, it's accessible and walkable”

But an outright been went too far for council members.

“I just think we're getting so many rules,” Connie Champion said.

Instead, council members said they want to prohibit the exchange of money at the tables and limit the use to sharing information only. There already are rules on soliciting donations downtown.

Council members also said they supported restricting the number of tables and their location. Permits may be required.

Council members said they also were interested in keeping tables on sidewalks outside the Chauncey Swan farmers market to informational purposes only.