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Council briefed on single‑bid tow contract for Decatur Police vehicles
Summary
Procurement staff said 50 vendors were invited for DPD towing services but only one — Branham's — responded; the contract covers tows involving police vehicles, not citizen callouts; transcript does not show final vote.
The City Council work session included a briefing on a towing services contract for Decatur Police Department vehicles after a council member questioned why only one vendor responded.
Procurement staff told the council that about 50 vendors were invited to bid and Branham's (also reported in the record as the lone respondent) has held the contract since February 2019. “50 vendors were invited and Branham's was the lone respondent,” the procurement representative said. Staff recommended renewal of an annual contract with the lone bidder, noting the vendor's past performance and unchanged pricing from 2022 until this year.
Council members pressed for clarity about response times and service area coverage. One member asked whether response‑time requirements exist; a police representative said officers can call a second wrecker if the primary provider fails to respond in a timely way. The mayor and staff clarified that the contract applies when the tow involves a police vehicle; routine citizen tows are handled by the department's callout list and may involve a different rotation or private vendor chosen by the vehicle owner.
The towing contract appears on the agenda as Resolution 25040, “award bid 25011 to Branham's for towing services for DPD.” The transcript does not record a formal roll call, mover/second, or vote tally for Resolution 25040.
Council and staff discussed solicitation practices generally: city staff said bids are mailed to vendors on its list, posted at city hall and on the city website, and linked to a third‑party subscription service that notifies vendors of solicitations. Staff acknowledged situations with zero, one or multiple bidders can occur and said they aim for multiple respondents when possible.
