Safety And Licensing Committee Votes Unanimously To Deny Commercial Solicitation Licenses To Vacuum Sales Company Accused Of High Pressure Tactics, Salesman With Criminal History

The Safety and Licensing Committee met 03/12/2025. They voted on two commercial solicitation licenses. Each license had been recommended for denial by city staff. Neither of the applicants appeared at the committee meeting to appeal the denial recommendations, and each of the license was recommend for denial by the committee without barely any comment.

Normally, I would include a transcript of the discussion, but there essentially was no discussion, so no transcript is needed.

The first application was for a Commercial Solicitation Company License for Yanda Distribution LLC. The company is a door-to-door Kirby vacuum sales company. The Weights and Measures Department requested that the company be denied a license to conduct sales operations in Appleton due to a past incident of salesmen engaging in high pressure sales tactics as well as multiple solicitors operating without a license.

Alderperson Alex Schultz (District 9) who was chairing the committee meeting said, “I’ve read through it. I don’t think there’s any dispute or need to have much of a conversation about the recommendation.” Nobody else on the committee had any questions or comments, and they voted unanimously to deny the license.

The second application was an individual Commercial Solicitation license for Kagan Whiting, one of Yanda Distribution’s vacuum salesmen. The Police Department asked that the application be denied due to Mr. Whiting’s criminal history which includes convictions for disorderly conduct and resisting or obstructing an officer, three counts of 4th degree sexual assault, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Again, Alderperson Schultz commented, “If we read through the attached documents in the recommendation to deny letter, it’s pretty clear why this is being recommended to deny.” No other committee members had any questions or comments, and they voted unanimously to deny the license.

View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1281672&GUID=5ABB569D-7F0C-472A-B8A7-5FC0F148F36D