Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solicitors topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council tightens solicitor rules: badges, fingerprinting and administrative control approved
Summary
Prospect Heights moved solicitor program management from police to administration and adopted a fingerprinting requirement and fee for solicitor badges; staff said badges will bear city identification and residents should call 911 if they feel pressured by solicitors not following the process.
Council approved amendments to Title 2, Chapter 9, Article B on July 27 to revise how solicitors are managed and to add a fingerprinting requirement and associated fee for solicitor badges.
Staff explained the existing code named the police chief as program manager but city practice had already shifted administration to the municipal administration office, and the ordinance language was updated to match current operations. The ordinance also requires fingerprinting tied to the badge-issuance process so the city can both vet solicitors and recoup administrative costs with a fee. "We do require fingerprinting for the badges that we give to our solicitors, and it requires a fingerprinting fee so that the city recoups some of the money for our services," staff said.
Council members described neighborhood safety concerns and asked about enforcement and verification; staff said residents should call 911 if a solicitor appears without a City of Prospect Heights badge or is pressuring them. The city will publish badge examples online and in e-news to help residents identify authorized solicitors. The council voted on waiving first-reading and later approved the ordinance on final reading.
