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Council schedules May public hearing on proposed tow operator radius and response-time changes
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Summary
Council held a first reading of Ordinance 17-65 to change tow-operator qualifications (proposed response time 30 minutes and radius increase from 5 to 15 miles); members expressed concern that a 15-mile radius could increase costs and travel times and asked staff to refine dispatch and inspection procedures before the May 4 hearing.
The City Council held a first reading on April 20 of Ordinance 17-65, which would amend the city’s code related to tow-operator qualifications and the rotation list used for towing vehicles from accidents and abandoned vehicles.
Staff explained three proposed changes: extend the maximum required response time from 20 to 30 minutes, expand the qualifying radius from 5 to 15 miles from the Mitchell Hammock Road & SR-434 intersection, and require tow companies that cannot meet the response time to notify dispatch with an estimated arrival time. The proposed changes are intended to increase the pool of eligible tow companies after the city found only one company currently qualified under the existing radius/time requirements.
Council members expressed concern that a 15-mile radius could impose higher costs on vehicle owners (the city’s flat fee is $150 plus $6 per mile), and worried that a long response radius could mean some tows come from far away when closer providers are unavailable. Staff and the deputy chief said the rotation system would dispatch closer providers first and the additional companies would give the city alternatives when the nearest company is unavailable. Members also discussed inspection and facility requirements that companies must meet to be eligible for the tow rotation.
The council voted to schedule a public hearing on May 4, 2026, for the ordinance’s second reading and public comment.
