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Chester council approves split towing contract after debate over local hiring and vendor scores
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Summary
Council awarded two on-call towing zones to out-of-town firms for a three-year term with options after a contested discussion about scoring, Google reviews and local hiring; the receiver defended the procurement as lawful and thorough.
Chester City Council voted to award on-call towing contracts for East and West zones to CCC Towing LLC and Delco Corp (d/b/a Play N Auto Parts) for an initial three-year term starting Jan. 1, 2026, with optional extensions through 2030.
The contract (resolution R‑138) drew public comment and council debate over vendor reputation and local hiring. Alan Boyd told the council he had seen multiple negative online reviews for one bidder and said, 'I just don't see how the correlation of the 2 should have ever been a question.' Local business owners also asked council to prioritize Chester-based firms so jobs and tax revenue remain in the city. Rob Conver of Apex Automotive said awarding work outside the city 'isn't coming back to the city' and urged officials to consider local economic impacts.
Receiver Vijay Kapoor — whose name appears on the resolution — urged council to approve the award and defended the procurement process. 'I am satisfied that the selection committee fairly followed the correct process and objectively evaluated the various companies,' Kapoor said, adding that minimum insurance and other requirements are mandatory for bidders.
Councilors divided on the measure. The clerk recorded 'Yes' votes from Councilor Gibson Williams, Councilman West and Mayor Root and 'No' votes from Councilman Green and Councilman Davis. Several council members said they would like to see more Chester- and minority-owned businesses win municipal contracts in the future but that the city must follow documented procurement rules.
The resolution authorizes the contracts for 01/01/2026 through 12/31/2028, with an optional year 4 (2029) and year 5 (2030) based on written satisfaction by the city. The vote was recorded following a series of public comments and a presentation from the receiver and staff on the procurement process.
Next steps: The awarded vendors may begin preparatory actions ahead of the contract start; council members said staff will continue outreach to help local firms compete in future procurements.
