Gary City staff ask towing companies to help clear boats, RVs from 900 Madison

Gary City staff on Monday asked local towing companies to help remove a cluster of boats and recreational vehicles from a property at 900 Madison and said the city will open bids for towing services used by the police department.

The request came at a brief meeting of the Gary City towing committee, which did not take formal votes. An unnamed city staff member said the city counted eight boats and about 10 RVs at the 900 Madison site and had identified an alternative storage lot on Sixteenth of Virginia that had agreed to accept the vehicles.

The staff member said the city is finishing a packet for prospective tow operators and expects the packet to be available within a week for review and pickup; companies may also provide contact information to receive the materials by email. "The city needs your help," the staff member said.

During the meeting a committee member and the staff member discussed logistics for moving the items and the timeline for soliciting bids. The staff member said they accompanied a person identified in the record as Benny, of "Benny Stone," to the site but did not report that Benny spoke during the meeting. The staff member said they will confirm availability and any fees at the Sixteenth of Virginia lot and include that information in the email packet to towing companies.

No motions or formal decisions were recorded at the meeting. Instead, the staff member said the immediate steps are to finish the bid packet, distribute it to interested firms, and schedule a separate towing meeting where the bids will be opened and questions entertained. Committee participants were asked to sign an attendance sheet and provide email addresses for follow-up.

Next steps announced at the meeting are procedural: the staff will complete and distribute the towing-bid packet, confirm the storage lot's availability and any charges, and schedule a bid-opening meeting. The committee adjourned after about five minutes of discussion.