Council delays towing contract after post-bid inspections find site-plan violations

City staff on May 19 told Southfield City Council it received two responsive proposals for vehicle towing and storage services and that Quality Towing scored higher under the department's evaluation rubric.

After the bid opening, however, city planning and code-enforcement staff inspected the respondents' properties and reported deficiencies including potholes and faded striping in parking lots, a broken light fixture, missing or incorrectly located fire hydrants relative to site plans, a noncompliant barrier-free space, and a deteriorated chain-link fence where a buffer or wall would be required under current zoning standards. The violations were not discovered until after bids were submitted.

Purchasing staff said Quality Towing may be awarded a two-year contract (05/19/2025'05/18/2027) with extension options once outstanding violations are corrected; Quality will have 120 days to remedy items noted by planning and code enforcement. Council members pressed staff on why inspections occurred after bid opening, how the city's scoring treated the deficiencies, and whether current towing services remain available.

Council direction and next steps - Council asked staff to meet with Quality Towing and Ross Towing to document and require remediation of the site-plan/code items. - Council instructed staff to return to the Committee of the Whole with updated scoring and a recommendation; staff suggested a short extension of existing service arrangements to avoid disruption.

Why it matters Towing services are critical to police and public-safety responses to traffic crashes and abandoned vehicles. Council members said they did not want to interrupt service but also wanted procurement transparency and assurance that firms providing public services comply with zoning and safety requirements.

Quotes from the meeting - "If they do not fix these violations, this contractor will not be issued. We will have to go back out to bid," the Purchasing Director said of noncompliant vendors. - "These violations did not exist when the site plan was approved," the city attorney/planning staff noted, explaining older approvals are being compared to current standards.

Clarifying details - The RFP document required compliance with city zoning, a certificate of occupancy, proof of ownership, and at least 25 parking spaces for auctions; staff found both proposers had code violations that reduced their scores but left Quality with a marginal lead based largely on pricing.

Status: Tabled; staff to return with reinspection results and any proposed short-term extension to ensure uninterrupted towing services.