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Waukegan aldermen begin rewriting towing rules after operators allege unfair enforcement and favoritism
Summary
Council members and towing operators clashed in a lengthy discussion about the city's on-call towing rotation. Aldermen said they will amend a proposed RFQ to require transparent public price lists, secure storage yards, capacity descriptions and inspection/audit rights; tow operators alleged targeted enforcement and favoritism favoring non-minority companies.
Waukegan aldermen on June 1 signaled plans to overhaul the city’s towing procurement and on-call rotation after a heated public discussion in which local tow operators alleged unequal enforcement of weight citations and favoritism in awarded contracts.
Alderman Hayes, who led much of the committee dialogue, said the RFQ should require bidders to submit detailed, public price lists for standard services and spelled-out qualifications including yard capacity, secure screened storage, insurance and indemnity, hours of operation, and the ability to handle medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. "Waukegan is committed to fair, transparent towing practices," Hayes said, urging that continued inclusion in the rotation depend on maintaining transparent, fair pricing and adherence to city standards.
Local operator Giovani Garcia told the council he and other Latino tow owners have been cited for alleged overweight tows and fined, while other companies that appear to be connected to political donors did not receive similar enforcement. "We are confident that none of our vehicles were overweight and that we are being targeted by the city and the police department to discourage us from towing within the city," Garcia said during audience time.
Council members agreed that an RFQ and accompanying ordinance should be developed that spells out inspection rights, nightly storage security, audit and termination protocols, and hours of public access so that residents can retrieve vehicles without unnecessary delay. Several aldermen also raised the possibility of rotational dispatch by zone and clearer fee disclosures at the scene of an incident.
The committee asked staff to incorporate the suggested requirements into the RFQ and return with an ordinance for consideration at a future meeting. Several aldermen stressed the need to address alleged unequal enforcement by police as part of any final contracting process.
