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Forest Park council updates peddlers, fee-setting and sound-amplification rules
Summary
Council approved an updated peddlers/solicitors ordinance with a religious-activity exception, authorized municipal fees to be set by resolution, adopted a revised permit-and-fee schedule, and amended sound-amplification rules to add time/place/manner permits and enforcement procedures.
Forest Park — On July 20 the City Council approved several code updates staff said are intended to modernize permitting and enforcement across multiple titles of the City Code.
Staff presented a comprehensive update to Title 9, Chapter 6 governing peddlers, solicitors, transient merchants, charitable solicitations and mobile food vendors; the revision clarifies definitions, requires permits to be issued to individual applicants rather than lumped group applications, standardizes permit durations and strengthens enforcement and revocation procedures. The city attorney noted the draft includes a specific exception for religious organizations and pointed to the ordinance text (page 13, line 371) for the exemption.
The council also approved an ordinance authorizing certain administrative, permit and licensing fees to be established and amended by mayor-and-council resolution rather than by ordinance. Staff said the change aligns the code with the city’s long-standing practice and is intended to provide administrative flexibility while preserving substantive licensing standards.
Separately, council adopted a resolution amending the city’s permit-and-fee schedule to add or clarify application fees for peddlers/solicitors permits, massage-establishment licensing, and sound-amplification permits. Staff noted the fees are intended to offset administrative costs.
On noise rules, staff proposed updates to Title 11, Chapter 5 to clarify permitting, notice, suspension and revocation of sound-amplification permits and to add time, place and manner restrictions that staff said are meant to be content-neutral and consistent with constitutional protections. Council members asked whether handheld megaphones and park events would be affected; legal staff said permits will specify the right-of-way or park location, duration and hours and that sporting-event uses could be accommodated through permit terms.
Each ordinance or resolution was approved by motion and voice vote during the regular session. The ordinance and resolution language will be posted with staff applications and implementation guidance.
City Attorney offered to work with code enforcement to ensure religious canvassing and other exempt activities are treated according to state and federal constitutional law.
