It's Girl Scout Cookie—And Controversy—Time

Yum. Cookies.

The Montclair Girl Scouts have already begun their annual booth sales at various locations—but this year their job has been made harder by a bunch of red tape, leaders say.

Last weekend, Girl Scout leaders say they were asked to leave their positions at 15 Bloomfield Avenue—where Smashburger and several other heavily trafficked businesses are located—because the troops apparently didn't have the proper paperwork and proof of insurance.

Since then, they have produced that paperwork and proof of insurance, they say.

This weekend, though, troop leaders found out that no Girl Scout has permission to sell cookies at any store at this location—even if troop leaders have spoken to the owner—unless and until all of the following have happened first:

1. Troops have to speak to the appropriate persons representing the stores.
2. If they have done #1 (or do it now), then they have to call the representative for the property owner to give him a variety of details about the troop.
3. Then that person has to confirm with the store contact that a troop has been given permission by the stores.

As one Montclair troop leader put it, "all this double checking is quite insulting ... the landlord has to call the store manager to make sure the Girl Scout leaders talked to the store manager ... and cookie sales only go on for six weeks."

So if you need a fix of Thin Mints or Samoas, the Girl Scouts want to let you know they still will be at some locations in Montclair—just not as many as they had hoped for. For further information to find cookies and times of the sales, click here. Or look for the cookie locator app for your iPhone.

One business welcoming the Girl Scouts is Just Kidding Around on Bloomfield Avenue. On the store's Facebook page: "Stop by Just Kidding Around TODAY, Saturday March 24th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to get your fill of Girl Scout Cookies! If you can't make it today, they will be at Just Kidding Around TOMORROW, Sunday March 25th from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m."

To commemorate the Girl Scouts' 100th Anniversary the scouts are selling a new cookie, Savannah Smiles, a delicious Lemon cookie. Booth sales will run through April 15.

Montclair Patch is trying to reach the property owner for comment.