Council weighs rewrite of towing ordinance after litigation and service complaints

City staff and the solicitor presented Bill 7 of 2025, an ordinance amendment intended to codify and otherwise conform the city's process for selection and engagement of salvor and towing operations.

The solicitor explained the ordinance was updated because long-standing practice diverged from the 1990 ordinance and because recent litigation prompted the city to bring the written code into alignment with practice. He said the city had last issued a formal three-year towing bid process in 2006 and that, since then, towing operations have been determined by mayoral designation and informal lists. The proposed ordinance would formalize eligibility criteria and the selection process for tow vendors; it would also penalize unauthorized salvage activity.

Director West and Deputy Commissioner Young described operational drivers: public-works crews and trash crews sometimes need rapid towing to clear alleys for safe operations; police-led tows for abandoned or unsafe vehicles require reliable response capacity; prior vendors sometimes failed to respond quickly or could not handle heavier equipment. Council members expressed concern about tow-yard practices and consumer protections for residents whose vehicles are towed, and asked whether the ordinance includes a code of conduct for vendors. Staff said a separate code-of-conduct/procedural agreement is being developed for tow operators to address treatment of residents and fee disputes; the ordinance change responds to a pressing operational need while further modernization of pricing and consumer-protection provisions will be drafted.

Council moved Bill 7 of 2025 to the next legislative session for formal consideration.