Sales permit revoked

After complaints from residents and police calls regarding salesmen, a door-to-door sales permit was revoked by the city’s community development department.

Last week, the Green River Police Department responded to calls complaining about salesmen from Northwest Distribution Inc., a company based in Fort Collins, Colo., violating the Green River Ordinance. According to police reports, officers responded to reports of suspicious activity on Fir Street, Elm Street and Riverview Drive. People later identified as salesmen were reported to offer residents free gifts or ask them to take part in a survey to get into a residence before making their true intent known. Also, reports claim salesmen were walking onto properties without contacting the property owners.

Laura Profaizer, director of community development for the city, said she sent a letter Friday to Northwest Distribution Inc., informing them their sales license was revoked. The letter states the company violated three codes within the Green River Ordinance.

The letter states salesmen from Northwest Distribution Inc., didn’t show residents their solicitation permits when asked, something required of salesmen when asked. The company was also noncompliant in providing their salesmen with copies of the permit and make sure they sell within the parameters of the permit.

The letter also cites a report made by Officer Brad Halter regarding the sales pitch used by the salesmen. According to that report, Halter noted the true purpose of the visit isn’t immediately made known. The sales pitch is only made after a person is invited into the home. Profaizer said the sales manager disclosed the company’s sales method to officials when asked, noting the method isn’t in line with the city’s ordinance.

“Whether it is to offer a free gift or take a survey is irrelevant. Either way, the intent to solicit Kirby Homecare Systems (as outlined on the permit) is not identified during the initial contact with the resident,” Profaizer’s letter states.

Profaizer said the community development office issues and revokes permits, but relies on police reports to determine if a permit should be revoked.

“The city council made it very clear when we changed the ordinance, it’s black and white,” she said. “We have zero tolerance for disobeying the ordinance.”

The long-standing Green River Ordinance was subject to change last year when legal action was threatened against the city for enforcing its historic ordinance. The argument commonly used in court to overturn a Green River Ordinance revolves around the ordinance going against the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, claiming the ordinance limits the practice of commercial free speech. Other communities with the Green River Ordinance have lost similar court cases on those grounds.

Facing a situation it wouldn’t be able to win, the city council modified the ordinance to allow door-to-door solicitation, but also gives residents the opportunity to control what kind, if any, solicitation happens at their door step while creating a strict set of rules for salesmen to abide.

The ordinance doesn’t say ‘three strikes and you’re out,’” Profaizer said. “You violate this, you’re revoked.”

This isn’t the first permit to be revoked by the city. Last October, the city also revoked a sales license issued to a Cheyenne-based company.