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Sunday, February 9, 2025
City CouncilMilpitas City Council approves introduction of ordinance to address unwanted visitors on...

Milpitas City Council approves introduction of ordinance to address unwanted visitors on residential property

This past Tuesday night, the Milpitas City Council voted to move forward on an ordinance that would allow residents to put up signs to prevent any unwanted visitors from being on their property. 

The ordinance would go into effect on January 1, 2025. 

At that time, residents would be able to choose to put up three different signs: 

  • A “No Solicitors” sign, which would prohibit people from coming by to offer goods or services, or to seek contributions
  • A “No Canvassers” sign, which would prohibit others from distributing news or information, or sharing their views
  • A “No Trespassing” sign, which would prohibit any unwanted strangers from coming up to one’s house, including both solicitors and canvassers. 

Even if a resident doesn’t put up signs, the ordinance is meant to protect residents by allowing them to add exceptions or conditions as they please, in terms of specifying whom they don’t want on their property. 

It was Councilmember Garry Barbadillo who set the ordinance in motion. It all started last year, when Barbadillo noticed the community had concerns about package theft. Barbadillo himself had his own experience where a person came up to his doorstep to grab a package. Fortunately, the person noticed he was being recorded by a CCTV camera and left. 

Following that episode, Barbadillo heard from several others that there were unknown people knocking on their doors; some of them solicitors who weren’t wearing ID or bearing any indication of whom they represented. 

Barbadillo spoke of how important this ordinance will be in terms of giving Milpitas residents the control to decide who comes onto their property…

“If this passes, it [gives] an extra layer of protection to homeowners. If not, at least it’s a layer of peace of mind…” said Barbadillo. 

The ordinance grants residents the ability to tell someone to leave their property at any time, even if they end up changing their mind about someone’s presence, regardless of whether or not they have a sign. Through a sign, the property owner is able to outwardly express who they want or don’t want coming onto their property. 

The ordinance will not change a person’s property rights in any way. It would simply give residents the ability to exclude certain visitors  – and it would also give the Milpitas Police Department or the Code Enforcement Division the ability to enforce the decisions made by each individual. Along with enforcement, residents would also be able to sue those who refuse to pay attention to their signs or wishes.  

Councilmember Hon Lien was concerned that the new ordinance would take valuable time away from the Milpitas Police Department. She was the only member of Council to vote against it. 

“Our police officers have more important things to do than to enforce this ordinance,” Lien told The Beat.  

The ordinance would not apply to all the residents in a given home, nor to neighbors, mail/shipments, visitors from government entities, or anyone with a legal right to enter the home.   

In the coming weeks, the City of Milpitas will be devoting time toward public outreach and having discussions with community members before the ordinance goes into effect.



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Rhoda Shapiro
Rhoda Shapiro
Rhoda Shapiro is the winner of a 2022 Golden Quill Award for her Education journalism. She works as a journalist and media consultant in the Bay Area. She has written for both the Tri-City Voice and the Mercury News, and is the founder of Chi Media Company, which works mostly with nonprofit organizations and educational entities to elevate their marketing and communication platforms. Rhoda is also the author of “Fierce Woman: Wake up your Badass Self” and “Magic Within: Womb-Centered Wisdom to Realize the Power of Your Sacred Feminine Self.” Her YouTube channel features practices in yoga, meditation, and women’s empowerment. Rhoda is The Milpitas Beat’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief.

2 COMMENTS

  1. This “unwanted visitors” ordinance, or whatever it will come to be known as, is another example of politicians having too much time on their hands and whose visions are in immediate need of an optometrist. The effectiveness of this ordinance can be compared to those who get restraining orders against former spouses, boy friends/girl friends/others, in short, totally worthless. I appreciate Council person Hon Lien’s comments (and her vote) that pretty much describes the value that this ordinance will have, little to nothing. And, our law enforcement assets would be better served pursuing other more serious activities than this trivial waste of time.

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