Atchison Commission Approves Tow License for Express Lube, Asks Staff to Study Notification Rules

The Atchison City Commission on an unspecified December meeting date approved a 2025 tow-service business license for Atchison Express Lube, 4–1, and directed staff to examine whether the city should require tow companies to notify the police when towing vehicles from private property.

Commissioner Slattery asked that the license be removed from the consent agenda for separate consideration and recounted a personal incident in which a vehicle he'd thought stolen was towed from private property and not disclosed by the tow company. "My tow bill was somewhere around $800," Slattery said, describing three weeks without use of his vehicle and saying he was not informed by the towing firm.

City Manager Mark Westhoff told the commission staff can research amending the tow-services ordinance but cautioned about potential procedural issues. "If a majority of the board would like us to look into amending that ordinance, we can look into that," Westhoff said, adding the staff would return with findings if the commission directed it to do so.

The commission moved and seconded approval of the Atchison Express Lube license; the mayor called for a voice vote and the mayor announced the motion carried with four commissioners voting yes and one voting no. Commissioners Slattery, Wilcox and Greenlee joined the mayor in directing staff to study notification requirements and consider a future workshop on tow-service regulation.

The approved license stands; any ordinance changes would require follow-up action by the commission after staff returns with recommendations.

Next steps: staff will research foreseeable procedural and enforcement issues related to requiring tow companies to notify the police when they remove vehicles from private property and report back to the commission, possibly in a workshop or future meeting.