Ordinance Aimed at Solicitors Approved by Town Council

Months after calls to change the town’s rules for solicitors began as a result of an incident with a Comcast worker, a proposed ordinance has been unanimously approved by the town council.

The new rules, which were approved Tuesday night, now require door to door solicitors to register with the Braintree Police Department, wear a lanyard identifying themselves and their business, and submit to a background check to be performed by the police department.

Talks of revising the rules started last year when a Comcast employee defecated in the yard of a Braintree resident while distributing flyers for the cable and internet provider.

Councilor Dan Clifford, who chairs the council’s committee on rules and ordinances, said the new rules would protect residents from crime, annoyance, and fraud.

“The incident that happened is not common but what is common is fraudulent people pretending to be Comcast or driveway pavers. I saw this as an opportunity to find the valid solicitors and remove the fraudulent ones,” Councilor Michael Owen said.

According to the new ordinance, the person engaging in soliciting or canvassing must display an orange lanyard that is visible at all times on the chest. The worker’s company must supply the lanyard and the identification card that will contain an identification number from company, the company name, the solicitor’s name, a current photo of the worker, a phone number or name of the company official responsible for the operation in case of an emergency, start date, and an expiration date to not exceed 30 days. The card will have the approval of the Braintree Police Department on the back with the signature of Chief Russell Jenkins. The 30-day period is a decrease from the original 90-day period.

Door-to-door workers are responsible for paying a $75 fee for the background check. Level 2 and 3 sex offenders, or those convicted of assault, burglary, larceny, robbery, drug distribution receiving stolen property, or unlawfully carry a weapon are barred from soliciting in town.

Failure to register with the town will result in a $300 fine for the worker and the employer.