Committee backs background-check changes for peddlers and solicitors, including fingerprinting

The Community and Economic Development Committee recommended approval of an amendment that would let the city require fingerprints and a full background check for applicants for peddlers’ and solicitors’ identification cards.

Major Walters told the committee the ordinance language change follows a change in law and would permit the city to collect fingerprints and “a full criminal history” to locate crimes over the prior five years involving theft, crimes against property or person, or convictions related to peddling or soliciting.

Committee members raised no substantive objections during the discussion and voted to recommend the amendment to the full City Council. A roll call recorded Council Member Prior Aye, Council Member Funk Aye and Chair Hodges Aye.

What it does: the proposed change amends Chapter 20 (Peddlers and Solicitors), Article 2 (Identification Card), to broaden investigatory authority and add fingerprinting to the applicant review process. Staff said the change will make background checks more complete and help identify convictions the current process might miss.

Next steps: the committee forwarded the draft ordinance to city council for formal consideration.