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Council tightens door‑to‑door solicitation rules, raises penalties and asks state delegation for statutory clarity
Summary
Councilors approved amendments to the city’s solicitation ordinance to raise fines for repeat violators, narrow permissible hours and remove Sundays/legal holidays; they also authorized a letter to the state delegation asking for clarifying language so local protections and consumer‑protection remedies are explicit in state law.
The Haverhill City Council voted to tighten the city’s door‑to‑door solicitation ordinance, increasing penalties for repeat violators and narrowing allowable solicitation hours. The council also voted to send a letter to the local legislative delegation asking for statutory language clarifying that local protections and consumer‑protection remedies remain available.
Councilor Lewandowski said the ordinance changes aim to balance First Amendment commercial speech protections with residents’ privacy and safety. He summarized several revisions in the packet, including an increase in fines from $300 to $500 for persistent solicitation violations and reducing permissible hours (removing Sundays and legal holidays and adjusting daily hours). Lewandowski proposed and the council approved sending a letter to the delegation to request statutory language reinforcing local do‑not‑solicit registries and to highlight consumer‑protection remedies available under G.L. c.93A.
The council voted 10‑0‑1 to adopt the local ordinance amendments and to send the delegation letter; Lewandowski said he would draft the letter.
