Maurice aldermen discuss door-to-door vendor ordinance

MAURICE — Kaplan already has restrictions on door-to-door sales and the Vermilion Parish Police Jury voted recently to create its own regulations.
The Village of Maurice may soon join those entities when it comes to handling the still common sales process.
Scott Dartez, the village’s attorney, presented a rough draft for a door-to-door vendors ordinance during Wednesday’s general board of aldermen meeting.
The board voted 3-0 to move forward with the ordinance, one that will go before a public hearing at the next general meeting on Nov. 19.
Included in the ordinance will be requiring vendors to obtain a permit at city hall.
“Right now we don’t have anything requiring these door-to-door vendors to obtain a permit,” Dartez explained.
There will also be conditions to receive the permit.
“They will have to provide contact information for the company,” Dartez said. “We need to know if this is a valid, legal company.
“We need to make sure the company is not a scam and that our citizens are not getting taken advantage of.”
There will also be time restraints for the vendors. The police jury has such language in its ordinance, allowing door-to-door sales from sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Dartez included in the rough draft the time frame of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“That is just a recommendation,” Dartez said. “That is what Kaplan has. That can be altered if the board feels there is a better time that would be appropriate.”
Alderman Darin Desormeaux recommended that 6 p.m. be the cutoff.
“In the winter months at 7 p.m. it is pitch dark,” Desormeaux said.
The board also agreed to have Sundays completely restricted, allowing sales pitches to occur only on Monday’s through Saturdays.
Mayor Wayne Theriot said he expects that the ordinance as a whole would serve the village well.
“It will give us some control,” Theriot said. “We want to allow our citizens to go about their business and not be bothered early in the morning or late at night.”