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Muscogee council tables proposed changes to towing and hazmat-remediation rules after industry objections
Summary
Council postponed action on ordinance 4299A, which would revise how record (towing) services and hazardous-material remediation providers are called to scenes, after the city received objections from local tow operators who said portions may conflict with state law; the item will return June 8 for further stakeholder review.
The City of Muscogee on May 11 postponed consideration of Ordinance 4299A after towing-company representatives told the council the draft could conflict with state rules for when hazardous-material remediation may be dispatched.
Miss Spencer, a city staff presenter, said the city attorney asked that the draft remove language that would strip a record service of its rotation spot for refusing non-reimbursable pickups and clarify that state-certified hazardous-material remediation providers operate on a separate rotation from towing companies. Police and fire leaders told the council there are relatively few state-certified remediation firms and that jurisdictional response (city vs. county) affects who may request remediation services.
Ryan Cooper, general manager of Record Service and Emergency Services, urged the council to table the ordinance or send it back for more stakeholder discussion. Cooper said the city draft could conflict with the Highway Spill Response Act (he cited "title 2741103"), which — in his view — requires a release to be ‘‘significant’’ to trigger fire-based remediation dispatch. He warned that diesel and motor-oil roadway releases often would not meet that threshold and said longtime industry practices allow tow operators to coordinate remediation and to recover costs under state rules.
"We don't feel that diesel fuel or motor oil or other fluids from the vehicle fits that definition," Cooper said, arguing the change could create disputes over who retains vehicles and how specialized labor and equipment get billed and secured.
Council members moved to table the ordinance for a city-attorney-led review with police, fire and stakeholder record services and set a date-certain to return the item to the Public Works Committee on June 8, 2026. The motion passed on a roll-call vote.
The chair also directed staff to remove the next four related ordinance items from the agenda and to bring the full series back together when ordinance two returns for consideration.
The council did not adopt any changes to the towing or remediation rules at the May 11 meeting; the ordinance will be reconsidered after stakeholder meetings and legal review.
