[1]
Editor's Note: Ord. No. 77-5, enacted 12-28-1977, amended Art. II to read as set out in §§ 14-1714-24. Formerly Art. II, §§ 14-1714-20, was derived from Ord. of March 1, 1924, §§ 1, 3 — 6, and Ord. of Dec. 4, 1929, § 1.
[Ord. No. 77-5, 12-28-1977; Ord. No. 86-7, § 1, 12-3-1986]
Each and every person who or which engages in or conducts, or proposes to engage in or conduct, any of the following described businesses or activities within the Township, shall not engage in or conduct such businesses or activities unless and until such person obtains a license as hereinafter provided by this article for each such business or activity to be engaged in or conducted:
A. 
Junk dealers, pawnbrokers, hucksters, peddlers, vendors or merchants of any provisions, goods, wares, services, or merchandise of any kind or nature, including but not limited to periodicals, books, pictures, medicines and drugs, whether by vehicle or otherwise, who engage in or conduct their business or activity along streets, alleyways or sidewalks, or from door-to-door or person-to-person, or upon the property of another, or from a given temporary location.
B. 
Transient sample merchants, salesmen, and agents soliciting orders for future delivery of goods, waters, services, or merchandise of any kind of nature, including but not limited to periodicals, books, pictures, medicines and drugs, from other than merchants, dealers, professional persons or organizations, or manufacturing corporations.
C. 
Solicitation of contributions of money, goods, or services of any kind or nature from door-to-door or from person-to-person or upon property of another.
D. 
Distribution of circulars, literature, advertising matter or other written material of any kind or nature, or sample goods, from door-to-door, or from person-to-person, or upon the property of another, except:
1. 
The distribution of written materials or sample goods by the Unites States Postal Service;
2. 
The distribution of newspapers of general circulation by employees, agents or general contractors of said newspapers; and
3. 
The distribution of written materials or sample goods by transient sample merchants, salesmen, and agents to merchants, dealers, professional person or organization, or manufacturing corporations.
E. 
The sale or offering for sale to the consuming public as a huckster, peddler, hawker, traveling merchant or agent any food stuffs, produce, fruit, vegetables, ice cream, peanuts, lemonade, pretzels, or any food or food products, or any of them, on the public highway, sidewalks, from house to house or from private property within West Pottsgrove Township.
[Ord. No. 77-5, 12-28-1977]
Application for a license required by this article shall be made to the Township Manager who shall issue such licenses, collect the license fees prescribed by this article which fees shall be paid at least once a month to the treasurer, and register the names and addresses required by this article.
[Ord. No. 77-5, 12-28-1977; Ord. No. 86-7, § 2, 12-3-1986; Ord. No. 09-4, § 5, 3-18-2009]
A. 
Except as hereinafter provided by this section, the fee for a license required by this article shall be as established by resolution of the Board of Commissioners. Said license fee shall cover only one individual to be involved in the business or activity for which the license application is made. In the event that more than one individual is to be involved in the business or activity, there shall be an additional license required for each such person, the license fee being computed at 1/2 the rate as established by resolution of the Board of Commissioners.
B. 
When an application is made for an organization, the fee shall be the same as in paragraph (a) above for such organization, together with 1/2 of such fee added for each person constituting a part of such organization engaged in such peddling, merchandising or soliciting within the Township.
C. 
No fee whatsoever shall be required to obtain a license for the following businesses or activities:
1. 
Farmers selling their own produce.
2. 
The sale of goods, wares, and merchandise, donated by the owners thereof, the proceeds of which are to be applied to any charitable or philanthropic purpose.
3. 
Manufacturers or producers in the sale of bread and bakery products, meat and meat products, and milk and milk products.
4. 
Insurance companies, or their agents or insurance brokers, authorized to transact business under the insurance laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
5. 
The hawking, peddling and vending of any goods, wares or merchandise, or the solicitation of trade by honorably discharged soldiers, sailors and marines of the military or naval service of the United States who comply with the acts of the general assembly regulating the licensing of such hawking, peddling, vending and solicitation by ex-servicemen.
6. 
Any business or activity carried on for a religious, charitable or political purpose.
7. 
Persons 16 years of age or under who are residents of the Township.
[Ord. No. 77-5, 12-28-1977; Ord. No. 86-7, § 3, 12-3-1987]
Each and every applicant for a license required by this article, whether such applicant is or is not required to pay a fee for such license, shall register with the Township Manager:
A. 
His or its name and address.
B. 
The name and address of each of the individuals to be involved in the business or activity for which the license application is made and their previous criminal record, if any.
C. 
The name and address of the person for whom or for which he or it is working or representing and the length of time for which the license is to be issued.
D. 
The name and address of the person who or which is producing, supplying, manufacturing, or selling the provisions, goods, wares, services, merchandise, literature or other written materials in which he or it is dealing or which he or it is distributing.
E. 
The type of vehicle he or it uses, if any, and its registration number.
[Ord. No. 77-5, 12-28-1977; Ord. No. 86-7, § 4, 12-3-1986]
A. 
Any license issued pursuant to this article shall be valid only during the calendar year in which it is issued and only during the hours between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., prevailing local time. Provided, however, that on the last Monday in May (Memorial Day), thru and including the first Monday in September (Labor Day), such licenses shall be valid during the hours between 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., prevailing local time.
B. 
No license shall be valid and no person shall engage in soliciting or peddling at any time on Sunday or upon any other day of the week before 9:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. (or 8:00 p.m. as set forth above) except upon invitation from or an appointment with the Township resident.
[Ord. No. 77-5, 12-28-1977]
In any business or activity for which a license is required by this article, and during the course of which goods or written materials are to be sold or distributed from door-to-door, or from person-to-person, or upon the property of another, all such goods or written materials either shall be handed to the occupant of the premises or shall be enclosed in envelopes or wrappers and places upon the premises in a reasonably secure manner. No such goods or written material shall be placed, and no attempt shall be made to place such goods or written materials, on or about the person of another without the consent of the other, or on or about a vehicle.
[Ord. No. 86-7, § 5, 12-3-1986]
No person engaged in soliciting or peddling shall hawk or cry his goods, wares, merchandise, offer his contracts or services upon any of the streets or sidewalks of the Township, nor shall be use any loudspeaker, harm, or other device for announcing his presence, by which members of the public are annoyed.
[Ord. No. 86-7, § 5, 12-3-1986]
No person engaged in soliciting or peddling shall park any vehicle upon any of the streets or alleys of the Township in order to sort, rearrange or clean any of his food stuffs, produce, vegetables, other food stuffs, goods, wares, or merchandise or samples, order books, contracts, circulars, literature, or advertising matter pertaining thereto; nor may any such person place or deposit any refuse upon any such streets or alleys; nor may any such person maintain or keep a street or curbstone market or soliciting or peddling office by parking any vehicle upon any street or alley in the Township for longer than necessary in order to solicit from or peddle to person residing in the immediate vicinity.
[Ord. No. 86-7, § 5, 12-3-1986]
No person engaged in soliciting or peddling shall occupy any fixed location upon any of the streets or alleys or sidewalks of the Township for the purpose of soliciting or peddling with or without any stand or corner. Upon application, the Board of Commissioners of West Pottsgrove Township may permit for charitable, Township, or philanthropic functions, the temporary use of the streets, alleys, and sidewalks of the Township for fund raising activities.
[Ord. No. 86-7, § 5, 12-3-1986]
The Township Health Officer or a designated Township representative may at any time inspect the vehicle or container or type of equipment from which food is to be sold to the consuming public, in order to determine that it meets Township health and sanitation requirements.
[Ord. No. 86-7, § 5, 12-3-1986]
Every solicitor or peddler shall at all times while engaged in soliciting or peddling in the Township, carry evidence of such registration upon his person, and shall exhibit such evidence upon request to all Police Officers, Township officials and citizens. No solicitor or peddler shall engage in selling or offering for sale or in seeking or taking of orders or contracts for any goods, wares, merchandise, articles, devices, subscriptions, contributions, service or contract not mentioned upon said license, nor shall any person use any vehicle for soliciting or peddling other than the vehicle registered upon his license.
[Ord. No. 77-5, 12-28-1977]
No license issued pursuant to this article shall authorize or excuse any breach of law, or any trespass upon the rights of others, or render the Township liable for any damages whatsoever that may be committed or caused under color of said license.
[Ord. No. 77-5, 12-28-1977; Ord. No. 86-7, § 7, 12-3-1986]
A. 
The Township Manager may at any time revoke any license issued pursuant to this article, if there shall have been committed any breach of the terms or conditions under which the license was issued, including the standards of conduct established under this chapter, or upon the ascertainment that the licensee has made any false statements in the application for license hereunder, or upon such licensee being arrested and convicted for any crime involving moral turpitude. Notice of the revocation of the license shall be effective when issued and shall be given by ordinary mail addressed to the address given in the license application. The Township Manager shall make and maintain a record of all license revocations in his office. From the time of such notice of revocation, any act done under color of such license shall subject the person doing or suffering to be done to the same penalty as if he or it had done such act without such license.
B. 
Any person whose license has been revoked shall be entitled to appear, with counsel if desired, before the Board of Commissioners of West Pottsgrove Township at a regular or special meeting and be heard on behalf of a request for reinstatement of said license.