Council approves towing contracts but asks staff to review weekend access and enforcement

Gilbert’s Town Council on Tuesday approved a set of motor vehicle towing services contracts as part of the consent calendar but spent substantial time discussing resident complaints about weekend availability and customer service from tow vendors.

The nut graf: The council ultimately voted 7-0 to approve consent items that include the towing-service agreements, but members asked staff to review contract terms, enforcement practices and complaint-handling procedures — and to return with answers at the June 10 meeting if the council desires further changes.

The agenda item awards towing contracts to four vendors following an RFP process. During council discussion, multiple members raised constituent complaints that vehicles could not be retrieved on weekends even when tow yards had vehicles present. Police and procurement staff explained the draft contracts require vendors to provide towing services 24 hours a day, seven days a week when called by the police department but that tow yards are only required to be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an option to open weekends; if a vendor chooses to open on a Saturday or Sunday it must offer a minimum four-hour window.

A town staff member who reviewed the contract text told the council, “They've got to provide their services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's the towing when called by the police department. The hours operation ... requires them to be open 9AM to 5PM, Monday through Bridal, and they have the option on Saturday and Sunday to be open. And if they are gonna be open on Saturday and Sunday, it has to be open for a minimum of 4 hours.” The council asked staff to confirm whether the contract language and vendor bids would produce adequate weekend access for residents.

Police leadership emphasized enforcement and complaint tracking. The police chief said residents should bring specific complaints to the department so staff can verify contract noncompliance and hold vendors accountable: “When our vendors fail to do that it's our job to hold those vendors accountable.” Staff also noted the contract contains a termination clause allowing the town to terminate the agreement for any or no reason with seven days’ notice, and that the town could issue a separate RFP in the future to require weekend access if data and resident complaints justify that change.

Council members discussed trade-offs: adding a firm weekend-service requirement could raise vendor costs and therefore fees charged to vehicle owners; it could also reduce bidder interest. Several council members recommended collecting more complaint data before restructuring the procurement or terminating contracts. The motion to approve the consent agenda (items 10–24, which include the towing contracts) carried 7-0.