Oakdale residents noticed door-to-door sales were getting a bit pushier this summer and made sure the city heard about it. WHAT'S THE ISSUE? Oakdale police fielded four complaints during July about the same out-of-state door-to-door sales company, the name of which is not being made public. The complaints ranged from suspicious behavior to one sales rep refusing to leave a resident's home when asked. The city code did not provide means for the police to deny the company from doing business in Oakdale.
WHAT'S THE SOLUTION? Following guidance from the League of Minnesota Cities, the police department drafted new amendments to the city's ordinances regulating solicitors, peddlers and transient merchants. The City Council voted unanimously to adopt the new measures Tuesday.
WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY? "With the current ordinance we didn't have anything to prevent that," said Karen Haines, the city's crime analyst. "We're going to look more into their past business in our city to protect the public and make sure they're not being harassed."
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The new amendments to the ordinance allow the city to deny peddlers and solicitors registration and licenses if they have three or more complaints against them with the Better Business Bureau, Haines said. And, if similar complaints are made against a business, the city can move to suspend its operation or revoke its license.
EMMA L. CAREW
