Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tow Rotation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tow company owners urge review of Lebanon police tow rotation; chief agrees to investigate
Summary
Two local towing business owners told council that off‑site impound practices by a rotation member, Rogers Towing, impose longer tows and higher costs on residents; Police Chief Frank Stephenson said staff will research how Rogers joined the rotation and report back.
Trevor Lee and Bradley Posner, owners of local tow companies, told the Lebanon City Council during public comment that Rogers Towing — a company operating an impound lot on Highway 34 near Oakville Road and run from Veneta — is towing Lebanon vehicles outside the city and raising costs for residents.
Lee said Rogers is not located in the city limits and that constituents who retrieve vehicles from that impound lot must travel farther and pay higher fees. Brad Posner, owner of Aerostar Towing, said local tow firms can usually recover vehicles with shorter trips, attend quickly for emergency calls and work closely with the fire department on incidents such as abandoned RVs. Both men asked council to limit the rotation to local companies.
Police Chief Frank Stephenson told council he would investigate how Rogers joined Lebanon's tow rotation. Stephenson said the department uses a non‑preference rotation when a vehicle owner does not select a tow company; he also said department policy generally uses rotation lists within the city limits or within about a 50‑mile radius. Stephenson said Rogers may have previously maintained a local yard and that Rogers had been used in the past when no one else would recover certain RVs.
Council agreed to ask staff to research the rotation and return information at a future meeting. No formal policy change was adopted at this meeting.
Councilors and members of the public discussed related points: the existing rotation includes four companies (Aerostar Towing, Al Towing, Lebanon Towing and Rogers), Sweet Home’s impound rules have a 15‑mile radius, and vehicle owners in Oregon retain the right to request a specific tow company after an accident. Chief Stephenson said he would confirm whether Rogers currently maintains a local yard and would provide staff research for council review.
Council directed staff to prepare information for the next meeting so elected officials and stakeholders can review the rotation rules and possible changes.
