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Council debates solicitor hours; staff recommends regional alignment, some councilors want Sundays excluded
Summary
Staff recommended aligning peddler/solicitor hours to a regional standard (8 a.m.–8 p.m., excluding federal holidays). Councilors discussed an alternate that excludes Sundays and clarified the code applies to for‑profit solicitations; scouts and volunteer election canvassers are generally not enforced against the licensing requirement.
City staff brought a proposed adjustment to Marion’s peddler/solicitor code to align permitted hours regionally (8 a.m.–8 p.m., excluding federal holidays). The change is intended to match neighboring jurisdictions and reduce inconsistency.
Council members debated an alternate option to exclude Sundays from permitted hours; council member Steve said he favored excluding Sundays, “I would exclude Sundays. I don't think you need to have somebody knocking on your door every day of the week.” Legal staff clarified that the existing definition mostly applies to for‑profit solicitations (licensed vendors) and that informal volunteers such as scouts are typically not regulated the same way.
Staff said they will check code definitions and return clarified language; if council has concerns after the public hearing, the item can be referred back to Planning & Zoning for further work.
