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Commissioners authorize staff discretion on towing vendor for property cleanups
Summary
After staff told commissioners local tow operators would not negotiate prices, the board voted 3-0 to let the county control officer choose the towing company appropriate to each removal, while flagging limited funds in the unsafe-building account.
DeKalb County commissioners voted 3-0 to permit the county control officer to select towing vendors case-by-case for code-enforcement removals after staff reported limited negotiation room from local firms.
A staff member who has been coordinating removals told the board that outreach to several companies — including Jeff's Towing and Parker's Towing Recovery — produced the same message: “the price is the price.” The staff member recommended trying Jeff's on smaller jobs and using Parker's for larger operations because of manpower and equipment needs. Commissioners debated cost recovery and whether auction proceeds or liens would offset storage and removal fees; one staff member said, “there's, like, only, like, $6,000 in [the unsafe building fund],” prompting a discussion of whether the county would need to cover shortfalls temporarily.
The board adopted a motion to allow the control officer to use his best judgment in choosing vendors, with the intent of keeping removals efficient while staff follows up on funding sources and the process for recovering costs. The vote was taken with no public opposition and carried 3 to 0.
