Towing business owner urges Lawrence to open police tow contract bidding, cites missed calls during storm
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Summary
A Lawrence towing company owner told the City Council she was never contacted for last winter’s superstorm response and said the police towing contract hasn’t been publicly bid since 1998, urging transparency and equal opportunity for small, Hispanic-owned firms.
Jamilet Diaz, owner of Best Price Towing, told the Lawrence City Council during public comment on Feb. 17 that her company was ready and willing to respond to last year’s superstorm but was never contacted by the Lawrence Police Department. "Best Price Towing was never contacted by the Lawrence Police Department for the superstorm," Diaz said, adding that her firm followed city ordinances and exceeded expectations in prior work.
Diaz said the city’s police towing contract has not been put up for public bid since 1998 and that only two companies currently hold the arrangement. "All I’m asking tonight is simple: transparency, equal opportunity, and public bidding for the police contract that has been unavailable to the public since '98," she said.
Her remarks followed other public comments about snow removal. Resident Rich Russell criticized the city’s prioritization of routes and questioned whether social-media updates are an adequate substitute for clearing residential streets. He told councilors he had filed a public records request asking how much revenue snow-emergency ticketing would generate and how that money would be spent.
Councilors did not take immediate action on procurement procedures during the session. The comments added to an ongoing discussion the council has been having about snow-response contracts and private towing vendors; city officials and council members have previously reviewed contract performance in committee meetings. Councilors and staff did not dispute Diaz’s account on the record during the public-comment period; city procurement officials were not present to respond in detail.
Next steps: Diaz’s request for transparent bidding and review of procurement practices was entered into the public record. Councilors and committee chairs who oversee public-safety and procurement matters may pursue further review or request follow-up briefings from the police procurement office and the city’s purchasing department.