Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Regulation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
West Haven council approves ordinance tightening door‑to‑door solicitation rules
Summary
The City Council approved an ordinance amending Chapter 174 of the West Haven code to replace a registration system with a licensing process that requires background checks and sets limits on hours, badges, and fines.
The West Haven City Council approved an amendment to Chapter 174 of the city code on Tuesday to change door‑to‑door solicitation from a registration requirement to a licensing process that includes background checks and fingerprinting.
The measure, proposed by Mayor Dorinda DeBoer and advanced unanimously by the council's legislative matters committee, also requires licensed solicitors to wear photo identification badges, limits permissible solicitation hours, caps the number of solicitors any single business may use at five, limits solicitations at any property to once every six months, and raises the fine for violations from $25 to $250.
Councilman Christopher Vargo, acting as chair of the legislative matters committee, opened the committee discussion and later read a summary of the ordinance during the full council meeting. "Chapter 174 provides that salespeople registered with the West Haven Police Department before soliciting door to door. The proposed amendment changes the registration requirement to an application process for a license to solicit door to door that will include background checks and fingerprinting," Vargo said during the reading. He added that the committee "unanimously voted to approve this ordinance."
The ordinance was moved and seconded at the full council meeting and carried after the vote. No public comments were offered during the committee hearing. The council also held chapter 178 (posting of bills) in committee for further review and possible amendment.
The change replaces the prior registration process with a license application and adds enforcement and identification requirements; it also raises the penalty for violations to $250. The council did not provide a transcripted roll‑call tally in the meeting minutes beyond the motion carrying.
The ordinance will be incorporated into the City of West Haven code as Chapter 174 once final administrative steps are completed.
Further amendments to related posting rules in Chapter 178 were held in committee for at least two more weeks, per the council's legislative matters committee.
