CHAPTER V. BUSINESS REGULATIONSCHAPTER V. BUSINESS REGULATIONS\Article 2. Solicitors, Canvassers, Peddlers

For the purpose of this Article, the following words shall be considered to have the following meanings:

(a)   Soliciting shall mean and include any one or more of the following activities:

(1)   Seeking to obtain orders for the purchase of goods, wares, merchandise, foodstuffs, services, of any kind, character or description whatever, for any kind of consideration whatever; or

(2)   Seeking to obtain prospective customers for application or purchase of insurance of any type, kind or character; or

(3)   Seeking to obtain subscriptions to books, magazines, periodicals, newspapers and every other type or kind of publication.

(b)   Residence shall mean and include every separate living unit occupied for residential purposes by one or more persons, contained within any type of building or structure.

(c)   Canvasser or Solicitor shall mean any individual, whether resident of the City or not, traveling either by foot, wagon, automobile, motor truck, or any other type of conveyance, from place to place, from house to house, or from street to street, taking or attempting to take orders for sale of goods, wares and merchandise, personal property of any nature whatsoever for future delivery, or for services to be furnished or performed in the future, whether or not such individual has, carries, or exposes for sale a sample of the subject of such sale or whether he or she is collecting advance payments on such sales or not. Such definition shall include any person, who, for himself, herself or for another person, hires, leases, uses, or occupies any building, structure, tent, railroad boxcar, boat, hotel room, lodging house, apartment, shop or any other place within the City for the sole purpose of exhibiting samples and taking orders for future delivery.

(d)   Peddler shall mean any person, whether a resident of the City or not, traveling by foot, wagon, automotive vehicle, or any other type of conveyance, from place to place, from house to house, or from street to street, carrying, conveying or transporting goods, wares, merchandise, meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, garden truck, farm products or provisions, offering and exposing the same for sale, or making sales and delivering Articles to purchasers, or who, without traveling from place to place, shall sell or offer the same for sale from a wagon, automotive vehicle, railroad boxcar or other vehicle or conveyance, and further provided, that one who solicits orders and as a separate transaction makes deliveries to purchasers as a part of a scheme or design to evade the provisions of this Article shall be deemed a peddler.

(e)   Transient merchant, itinerant merchant or itinerant vendor are defined as any person, whether as owner, agent, consignee or employee, whether a resident of the City or not, who engages in a temporary business of selling and delivering goods, wares and merchandise within such City, and who, in furtherance of such purpose, hires, leases, uses or occupies any building, structure, motor vehicle, tent, railroad boxcar, or boat, public room in hotels, lodging houses, apartments, shops or any street, alley or other place within the City, for the exhibition and sale of such goods, wares and merchandise, either privately or at public auction. Such definition shall not be construed to include any person who, while occupying such temporary location, does not sell from stock, but exhibits samples only for the purpose of securing orders for future delivery only. The person so engaged shall not be relieved from complying with the provisions of this Article merely by reason of associating temporarily with any local dealer, trader, merchant or auctioneer, or by conducting such transient business in connection with, as a part of, or in the name of any local dealer, trader, merchant or auctioneer.

(f)   Street salesman shall mean any person engaged in any manner in selling merchandise of any kind from a wagon or stand temporarily located on the public streets or sidewalks of this City.

(Code 1970, 20‑1; Code 1989)

It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of a peddler, solicitor or canvasser, as defined in the preceding Sections of this Article, within the corporate limits of the City without then having an unrevoked and unexpired license therefore in his or her possession and issued by the City Clerk.

(Code 1970, 20‑14; Code 1989)

Before the City Clerk may issue any license required by this Article, he or she shall require a sworn application in writing prepared in duplicate on a form to be supplied by the City Clerk which shall give the following information:

(a)   Name and description of applicant;

(b)   Permanent home address and full local address of applicant;

(c)   Identification of applicant including drivers license number, date of birth, expiration date of license and description of applicant;

(d)   Identification of vehicle used by applicant including license therefore used by applicant in conducting his or her business;

(e)   A brief description of the nature of the business to be carried on or the goods to be sold and the length of time such applicant has been engaged in the business;

(f)   If employed, the name and address of the employer, together with credentials establishing such relationship, including the authority by the employer authorizing the applicant to represent the employer in conducting business;

(g)   The length of time which business is proposed to be carried on;

(h)   The place where services are to be performed or where the goods or property proposed to be sold or orders taken for the sale thereof are manufactured or produced, where such goods or products are located at the time the application is filed, and the proposed method of delivery;

(i)    A photograph of the applicant, taken within 90 days prior to the date of making application which picture shall be at least two (2) inches by two (2) inches showing the head and shoulders of the applicant in a clear and distinguishing manner; or in lieu thereof, the fingerprints of the applicant may be taken by the Chief of Police and filed with the application;

(j)    The names of at least two (2) reliable owners of property in Wyandotte County, Johnson County or Leavenworth County who will certify to the applicant’s good character and business responsibility; or in lieu of the names of references, submit available evidence as to the good character and business responsibility of the applicant as will enable the City officers to evaluate properly his or her character and responsibility;

(k)   A statement as to whether or not the applicant has been convicted of any crime, misdemeanor or violation of any City ordinance giving the nature of the offenses, the punishment assessed therefore, if any, and the City and State where conviction occurred.

(Code 1970, 20‑16; Code 1989)

At the time of filing the application, a fee established by the City Council, shall be paid to the City Clerk to cover the cost of investigation of the facts stated in the foregoing application.

(Code 1989)

(a)   Upon receipt of the above application, the City Clerk’s office shall cause an investigation of the fact stated therein to be made within not to exceed five (5) days.

(b)   If as a result of the investigation, the applicant’s character or business responsibility is found to be unsatisfactory or the facts stated therein to be untrue, the City Clerk shall endorse on such application his or her findings and endorse his or her disapproval of the application and the reasons for the same and shall notify the applicant that his or her application is disapproved and that no license will be issued.

(c)   If however, the investigation of such application discloses that the character and business responsibility and the facts stated in the application are satisfactory and true, the City Clerk shall endorse his or her findings and approval on the application and issue a license to the applicant to engage in the business described in the application. Such license shall authorize the licensee to conduct business within the City limits for a six‑month period of time and shall be in such form as required by ordinance and shall show the name, address and photograph and fingerprints of the licensee and the kind of goods to be sold or services rendered and the amount of fee paid, the date of issuance and the length of time the license shall be operative.

(Code 1989)

(a)   The fee for the license required pursuant to Section 5‑102 shall be established by the City Council per each day, or portion thereof, that the licensee shall solicit within the City limits. Any such license granted upon application as required hereinabove shall be limited to and effective only on the days set out in the license between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. No solicitation or sales shall be conducted by any person during any other hours on said date except upon invitation.

Any such license granted upon application as required hereinabove shall be limited to and effective only on the days set out in the license between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. No solicitation or sales shall be conducted by any person during any other hours on said date except upon invitation.

(Code 1970, 20‑1, 17; Code 1989, Ord. 2293, Sec. 1)

Any canvasser or solicitor or peddler, not a resident of the City, shall, before a license shall be issued, file with the City Clerk a surety bond running to the City in the amount of $5,000 with surety acceptable to and approved by the City Manager, conditioned that the applicant shall comply with all the provisions of the laws of the City and of the State of Kansas regulating and concerning the business of the applicant and guaranteeing to any citizen of the City that all money paid as a down payment will be accounted for and applied according to the representations of the application and further guaranteeing to any citizen of the City doing business with the applicant, that the property purchased will be delivered according to the representations of the applicant. Action on such bond may be brought in the name of the City to the use or benefit of the aggrieved person.

(Code 1989)

(a)   It shall be unlawful for any peddler, solicitor or canvasser to make false or fraudulent statements concerning the quality of nature of his or her goods, wares and merchandise for the purpose of inducing another to purchase the same.

(b)   Peddlers, solicitors or canvassers are required to exhibit their license at the request of any person to whom they attempt to sell their goods, wares and merchandise or take orders for future delivery of the same.

(c)   Any peddler or solicitor who enters upon premises owned or leased by another and willfully refuses to leave the premises after having been notified by the owner or possessor of the premises, or his or her agent, to leave the same, shall be deemed to be in violation of this code.

(d)   Any peddler or solicitor who enters upon premises owned, leased or occupied by another, whose property is signed to indicate no solicitors and/or no peddlers or who willfully refuses to leave the premises after having been notified by the owner or occupier of the premises, or his or her agent, to leave the same, shall be in violation of this code.

(Code 1970, 20‑3,22; Ord. 1502, Sec. 1; Code 1989)

No peddler or any other person shall have exclusive right to any location in the public streets for the purpose of selling or soliciting sales, nor shall any person be permitted a stationary location in the public streets, nor shall any person be permitted to operate in the sidewalks and streets within the fire limits of the City or any congested area where his or her operations might impede or inconvenience the public.

(Code 1989)

Licenses issued under the provisions of this Article may be suspended by the City Clerk for any of the following causes:

(a)   Fraud, misrepresentation or false statement made in the course of carrying on the business provided for the license;

(b)   Any violation of the provisions of this Article;

(c)   Conviction of any crime or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude;

(d)   Conducting the business of the licensee in an unlawful manner or in such manner as to constitute a breach of the peace or to constitute a menace to the health, safety or general welfare of the public. Any person aggrieved by the suspension of his or her license by the City Clerk may appeal to the Governing Body within five (5) days after notice of such suspension.

(Code 1970, 20‑23, Code 1989)

The fee required by this Article shall not be required to be paid by the following:

(a)   Ordinary commercial travelers who sell or exhibit for sale, goods, wares or merchandise to persons engaged in the business of buying, selling and dealing in the same.

(b)   Local vendors of farm produce, poultry, stock or agricultural products in their natural state, which products shall have been grown or produced by such vendors.

(c)   Sale of goods, wares and merchandise donated by the owners thereof, the proceeds of which are to be used and applied to some locally approved charitable, religious or philanthropic purpose.

(e)   Any person residing in the City for one (1) year immediately preceding application for a license under this Article. Provided, however, that all other provisions of this Article shall be and remain applicable to those persons set forth in (a), (b) and (c) of this Subsection.

(Ord. 1502, Sec. 1; Code 1989)