Committee to Revisit City Storage for Recovered Stolen Vehicles After High Impound Costs

Councilmembers at the Aurora City Public Safety Committee were told the city's motor vehicle theft recovery voucher program has cost the city tens of thousands of dollars in recent months, and members directed staff to revisit whether the city should hold recovered vehicles on city property rather than relying entirely on contracted tow yards.

The discussion began when a staff member, Jason (staff member), reported that in February the program reimbursed $20,185 to recover 86 vehicles; in 2024 the program reimbursed $347,749 for 1,364 recovered vehicles; and from the program's start in January 2023 through February 2025 the city has paid $885,092 to recover 3,552 vehicles. "For the motor vehicle recovery theft program, in February, there was $20,185 vouchers redeemed for 86 vehicles," Jason said. He added that as of January year-to-date there were 181 vehicles in process.

Why the monthly bill can be high was explained in the meeting. A councilmember asked whether a single vendor, M and M, was charging the city; another member confirmed "M and M is charging us $20,000 to get 86 vehicles off their lot." Jason and other staff said those costs reflect tow fees, storage and administrative fees and that the average figure in the example would be about $241 per vehicle. Staff said the vendor requires vehicle owners to pick up recovered vehicles within 72 hours and that daily storage fees—"probably $80 a day if they don't pick it up"—contribute to the cost.

Several councilmembers raised the possibility of using city land to store recovered stolen vehicles to reduce recurring tow-and-storage fees. One councilmember referenced a prior conversation with Councilmember Marcano before he left office and requested that staff revisit the idea of pouring a concrete slab or identifying a small city-owned site to hold vehicles recovered specifically from theft. "I think now may be the time that we potentially look at that," the chair said, asking staff to return with options.

Staff cautioned that many departments contract with private tow companies because holding vehicles in-house requires staffing, security and dedicated impound personnel. Jason noted the distinction between vehicles recovered from theft—those the city has been paying to reclaim—and other impounded vehicles taken for registration, license or plate violations. For November–February, staff reported the city took in 638 impounded vehicles for no registration, no license or expired plates (November 195; December 177; January 135; February 131). Those vehicles, staff said, could continue to be sent to M and M under a bifurcated approach while theft-recovered vehicles were considered for separate handling.

Committee members asked for a focused follow-up rather than a large-scale facility: staff and council agreed the city likely would not need a thousand parking spaces and instructed staff to prepare options. Division staff agreed to return with a review; Jason said he would place the item on the April agenda for committee consideration.

Ending: The committee also moved routine consent items and approved minutes from November before the discussion. No ordinance, contract or budget amendment was adopted during the discussion; the committee's direction was to have staff bring back a report and options on city-controlled storage for recovered stolen vehicles at the April meeting.