Independence has officially begun the process of changing its fee and application structure for door-to-door businesses operating in the city.
The move follows discussions that occurred in November after City Administrator Chris Moriconi and City Clerk Gina Rawe brought the issue to council, describing the city’s current structure as overly time-consuming and costly.
“We were spending a lot of time on these solicitors’ licenses,” said Mayor Chris Reinserman at the council meeting Monday night, “and the fees were not covering that time.”
Doing the necessary paperwork for a single operator isn’t onerous, but some companies will bring in teams of salespeople who need to become licensed. The current fee structure charges $50 for an initial application for a company, plus $25 for an individual license for each of the company’s agents. The changes call for a more uniform structure: $75 for each applicant across the board. Political and religious canvassers are exempt from fees.
The City Council performed a first reading of an ordinance enshrining the changes on Monday. The council will cast a final vote on the ordinance next month. You can read the proposed ordinance here. The changes are highlighted in yellow.