Public Service Announcement .. Did you know Whitefish Bay has an ordinance that requires nearly all door-to-door solicitors to have a permit?
Ordinance 15.07 (read here) generally requires all "Merchants" selling goods, or "Solicitors" asking for donations of money or items, to apply for a permit at Village Hall.
This permit must be displayed on a "conspicuous place" on the person, and must be presented upon the demand of any potential "customer." (That's you.)
Furthermore .. each solicitor needs one. So if, for example, the Victory Church, deposits a carload of guys to go around knocking on doors asking for donations, EACH of them need a permit. The permits are not transferable.
There are two notable EXCEPTIONS:
- No permit is needed if the solicitor is engaged solely in political or religious speech. (But if they are asking for donations, they WILL need a permit. Often you'll hear them initially say "we're not asking for money .. but if you'd like to subscribe, blah blah blah." .. yeah, get a permit.)
- No permit is necessary for RESIDENT children under 21 going door-to-door for a charitable or non-profit entity. e.g. Whitefish Bay children can sell Girl Scout Cookies or raise money for their band trip without a permit. But a Shorewood kid, cannot without a permit. Nor can a Milwaukee resident ask for church donations without a permit.
So .. anyone like to bet that most of the dudes who ring your door need a permit, yet don't have one?
Additionally .. ringing the doorbell to see if someone is home is also a method bad guys use to discover unoccupied homes.
Next time an irritating solicitor is outside your door asking for money, ask to see their permit. If they don't have one, call the Whitefish Bay Police (962-4619), who would be happy to inform them of the law.
Make sure you read:
- WFB Picks New Trustee
- Grim Silver Spring Prediction .. a Local Merchant's thoughts..
- Bits & Pieces (New Engineer, Leaf Collection, Crime .. Fire)
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