The purpose of this article is to protect the citizens against crime, including deceptive practices, fraud, and burglary, minimize the unwelcome disturbance of citizens and the disruption of citizens’ privacy, and preserve the public health, safety, and general welfare by registering and regulating solicitors.
(2001 Code, sec. 4.501)
In this article:
Building official.
The building official of the city or his/her designated representative.
City.
The City of Azle, Texas.
Minor.
A person under the age of eighteen.
Solicitation activities.
Traveling either by foot or vehicle, going door-to-door, house-to-house, building-to-building, or along any street in the city, personally contacting occupants or other persons, selling or taking orders for or offering to sell or take orders for goods or services for commercial purposes.
Solicitor.
A person who engages in solicitation activities.
(Ordinance 2014-12, sec. 1, adopted 8/26/14)
(a) 
Solicitation activities are allowed:
(1) 
Monday–Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. or dark on any day, whichever is earlier. “Dark” means the time of day identified by the United States Naval Observatory as being the end of civil twilight on a particular day in the city.
(2) 
At any time to a premises where the visit results from a request or an invitation made by the owner, or any occupant or person residing on the premises.
(b) 
Solicitation activities are prohibited:
(1) 
Sundays.
(2) 
Federal holidays.
(3) 
At a residence or business that has a sign posted giving notice that solicitors are not welcome, such as, “no solicitors” or words of similar meaning.
(4) 
At a residence where the owner or occupant has completed an application to be included on the “no solicitor list” provided by the city.
(Ordinance 2014-12, sec. 7, adopted 8/26/14)
(a) 
The building official, or their designee, shall develop and maintain a list of residences where solicitation activities is prohibited and such list shall be referred to as the “do not solicit list.”
(b) 
Any property owner or occupant may elect to add or remove his or her residence to or from the do not solicit list through the procedures developed by the building official. The property owner or occupant making such a request will be required to affirm that he or she is an owner or occupant of the residence, and is making the request on their behalf and on behalf of any other occupant at that address.
(c) 
The building official shall make the do not solicit list available on the city’s website and to any person upon request.
(d) 
The building official shall provide a copy of the do not solicit list to each person issued a registration under this article.
(Ordinance 2014-12, sec. 9, adopted 8/26/14)
[1]
Editor’s note–Former section 4.07.034 pertaining to bonds and deriving from the 2001 Code, sec. 4.506, was deleted in its entirety by Ordinance 2014-12, sec. 3, adopted 8/26/14. The remaining sections in this division were renumbered at the editor’s discretion.
(a) 
A person, other than a minor, shall not engage in solicitation activities in the city without first registering with the city and obtaining a registration certificate and identification badge from the building official.
(b) 
A church, school, civic or other nonprofit entity is exempt from the requirements of sections 4.07.032 through 4.07.036 of this article if the entity complies with the following requirements: The entity shall submit to the city official responsible for issuing permits a letter containing the name of the church, school, civic or nonprofit entity, the name, telephone number and address of the person in charge of the activity, the product to be solicited and the dates that the activity is to take place.
(Ordinance 2014-12, sec. 2, adopted 8/26/14)
(a) 
A minor shall not engage in solicitation activities in the city except in compliance with this section.
(b) 
A person, company, or organization that sponsors or employs one or more minors as solicitors shall apply for registration with the city. The sponsor shall pay an annual fee as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code.
(c) 
The sponsoring person, company, or organization shall:
(1) 
Provide to each individual minor a badge or other easily readable form of identification which identifies the name of the sponsor and the name of the minor;
(2) 
Require all minors to wear the identification so that it is clearly visible at all times when the minor is engaged in solicitation activities; and
(3) 
Be responsible for the conduct of all minors engaging in solicitation activities under the sponsor’s registration.
(2001 Code, sec. 4.504)
A separate application for a solicitor’s registration is required for each solicitor. An application must be made under oath and must contain the following information:
(1) 
Proof of age, address, and identification of the applicant, to be provided through the applicant’s driver’s license, articles of incorporation, or other legally recognized form of identification;
(2) 
If the solicitor is employed by another, the name and business address of the employer; if acting as an agent, the name, address, and telephone number of the principal who is represented, with credentials in written form establishing the relationship and the authority of the employee or agent to act for the employer or principal;
(3) 
A brief description of the goods or services to be sold or offered for sale;
(4) 
The hours and location of the solicitation activities;
(5) 
If the applicant has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving fraud, a sex offense, trafficking in controlled substances, or any violent acts against persons or property within five years preceding the date of application, a description of each such conviction. The description shall include the date the offense occurred, the date of conviction, the location of the offense, the offense of which the applicant was convicted, and the sentence received. For purposes of this section, a conviction is deemed to have occurred if an applicant is ordered to be placed upon deferred adjudication or community supervision;
(6) 
Proof of possession of any license or permit which, under federal, state, or local laws or regulations, the applicant is required to have in order to conduct the proposed business, or which, under any law or regulation, would exempt the applicant from the registration requirements of this article; and
(7) 
Two photographs of the applicant, measuring at least one and one-half inches by two inches and showing the head and shoulders of the applicant in a clear and distinguishing manner, which shall have been taken within the preceding sixty days before the filing of the application.
(2001 Code, sec. 4.505)
(a) 
An applicant for registration shall pay an annual fee as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code. A solicitation registration is valid for one year.
(b) 
A church, school, civic or other nonprofit entity is exempt from the payment of the annual registration fee.
(c) 
Applicants demonstrating a valid claim of interstate commerce shall be exempt from the fee requirements herein, but shall be otherwise regulated by the provisions of this article.
(2001 Code, sec. 4.507)
(a) 
Upon receipt of the application, the building official shall review the application to ensure the protection of health, safety and general welfare.
(b) 
If the building official finds the application to be in compliance with this article, the registration shall be authorized.
(Ordinance 2014-12, sec. 4, adopted 8/26/14)
(a) 
Upon authorization of the registration and payment of the fee, the building official shall deliver an identification badge for each registered solicitor.
(b) 
While engaging in solicitation activities, a solicitor shall wear the badge so that it may be easily read by those being solicited. If the badge becomes damaged, the solicitor shall return it to the city and receive a replacement badge.
(c) 
The identification badge shall be used only by the person to whom they were issued and may not be transferred to another person.
(Ordinance 2014-12, sec. 5, adopted 8/26/14)
(a) 
The building official shall deny an application for registration if they find any of the following to be true:
(1) 
The location and time, or manner of solicitation activities would interfere with the public’s use of streets or endanger the safety and welfare of the solicitors or their customers.
(2) 
An investigation reveals that the applicant falsified information on the application.
(3) 
Within the five years preceding the application, the applicant has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving a sex offense, trafficking in controlled substances, or any violent acts against persons or property.
(4) 
The applicant is a person against whom judgment based upon, or conviction for, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation has been entered within the five years preceding the date of application.
(5) 
The applicant provided no proof of authority to serve as agent for the principal.
(6) 
The applicant has been denied registration under this article within the previous twelve months, and the applicant has not shown to the satisfaction of the building official that the reasons for the earlier denial no longer exist.
(b) 
A denial and the reasons for the denial shall be noted on the application, and the applicant shall be notified of the denial by notice mailed to the applicant at the address shown on the application or the last known address.
(Ordinance 2014-12, sec. 6, adopted 8/26/14)
A registration certificate issued pursuant to this article may be revoked or suspended by the director, after notice and hearing, for any of the following reasons:
(1) 
Fraud, misrepresentation, or false statement contained in the application for registration;
(2) 
Fraud, misrepresentation, or false statement made by the solicitor in the course of conducting solicitation activities;
(3) 
Conducting solicitation activities which are not described in the application;
(4) 
Conviction of a crime described in section 4.07.037;
(5) 
Violation of the regulations described in section 4.07.003; or
(6) 
Conducting solicitation activities in such a manner as to create a public nuisance, constitute disorderly conduct, or endanger the health, safety, or general welfare of the public.
(2001 Code, sec. 4.512)
(a) 
A person who is denied registration or whose registration is revoked or suspended by the building official may appeal the decision to the city manager by filing notice of appeal with the building official within fifteen days after the notice of the decision is mailed to the address indicated on the application.
(b) 
Within ten days of the receipt of the notice of appeal, the city manager shall set a time and place for a hearing on the appeal which shall be no later than thirty days from the date of receipt of the notice of appeal.
(c) 
Notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be delivered to the applicant by mail, sent to the address indicated on the application.
(d) 
The decision of the city manager is final. No administrative procedures are provided by the city.
(Ordinance 2014-12, sec. 8, adopted 8/26/14)