Trustees discuss solicitor registration and hear resident safety concerns in Shannon

During the May 11 meeting trustees discussed complaints about an individual conducting door-to-door sales around the township and reviewed solicitor-registration models used by nearby Liberty and Westchester townships. Trustees described possible elements of a local resolution: a registration requirement, a fee (examples cited: $50 for 90 days), identification badges for solicitors, time-of-day restrictions, and free "no soliciting" stickers residents could post to bar solicitors from knocking.

Trustee Updike and other trustees said they wanted sample language and legal review before pursuing any formal township resolution. "If he has this on your door and he comes up then you can call the police and he can be charged with a misdemeanor," a trustee said while discussing neighboring-township enforcement options. Trustees asked staff to draft mockups for registration badges and consider the limits set by Ohio Revised Code provisions referenced in the discussion.

In public comment, Reverend Bruce Ford, a resident, raised concerns about property maintenance and pedestrian safety at 4782 New London Road (Shannon village), citing cracked sidewalks, gravel vehicle access, winter hazards, and a potential slip-and-fall risk. He said he had taken photographs and submitted them to Barry in zoning for the record and asked trustees to pursue landlord contact or a letter addressing maintenance concerns. "The property is in disrepair...it isn't maintained. So it is ... it's really a danger in the winter time," Reverend Ford said.

Trustees did not vote on a solicitor registration policy at the meeting; they requested drafts and legal review for possible future action.