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Committee backs changes to solicitation rules after resident complaints
Summary
The Administration Finance Committee recommended sending Ordinance 32-25 to the full board; staff proposed restricting hours, raising fines, requiring a village-issued vest and posting photos of permitted solicitors online following resident complaints about aggressive door-to-door soliciting.
The Administration Finance Committee on Sept. 2 recommended that the full board consider Ordinance 32-25, proposed amendments to Chapter 20, Article 9 of the village code that would tighten rules governing door-to-door solicitation. Kevin, a village staff member who presented the report, said staff prepared the changes after “numerous calls from concerned residents” about solicitors failing to follow permit requirements, using aggressive or deceptive sales tactics and approaching homes on the do-not-knock registry.
The ordinance amendment, as described by staff, would restrict solicitation hours, adjust fines and fees, require solicitors to wear a village-issued high-visibility vest in addition to a permit badge, and require permittees to upload a photo of the permitted solicitor to a web page accessible to residents for verification. “We believe these ordinance changes appropriately balance the right to free speech and expression with the village’s responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its residents,” Kevin said.
Committee members moved and seconded approval of the ordinance for placement on the Sept. 15 board meeting agenda with a positive recommendation; a voice vote produced no recorded opposition. The staff recommendation and the committee’s positive recommendation are procedural steps; the full board will take the final vote on Sept. 15.
The staff report did not specify the new restricted hours or the adjusted fine amounts in the text provided to the committee. The ordinance was presented as an update that had been compared with ordinances in nearby communities, per staff remarks. Ending: The measure now advances to the full board for consideration and possible adoption on Sept. 15.
