City reminds residents: door-to-door solicitors must display permits; police ask for real-time reports

City staff told the Town of Country Board of Aldermen that the city has received complaints about people going door to door soliciting pest‑control and other services without the required permit and urged residents to ask to see a permit and to call police dispatch if solicitors do not display one. "The city does require anybody going door to door selling items to have a permit, and these particular individuals do not," a city staff member said during the Aug. meeting.

The staff member said the permit is issued by Morgan and must be vetted through the highway patrol; if a solicitor lacks the visible permit, residents should call police dispatch so officers can respond. "If these people knock at their door to ask to see the permit, Morgan issues these permits. They have to be vetted through the highway patrol, and they have to have these permits visible. If not, they should call the police dispatch," the staff member said.

Why it matters: Unpermitted solicitors can be a public‑safety and consumer‑protection concern; the city’s process gives police a mechanism to enforce the rule when complaints are reported in real time.

Details from the meeting: The staff member said the city’s timeline from permit application to issuance or denial is three days. Staff said they typically see an uptick in permit requests in summer and estimated about five permit requests in a summer month; at the time of the meeting staff reported two active permits. A board member suggested posting a list of active permits on the city website or in the city newsletter so residents can verify whether a solicitor is authorized.

The remarks were made as part of routine reports; no formal motion or ordinance was introduced during the discussion. Residents who witness unpermitted soliciting were told to call the nonemergency police dispatch so officers can respond to cite unpermitted solicitors and document complaints.