The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

New towing contract benefits city of Carbondale

Even though the city will receive more than $16,000 for recently renewing its towing contract, law violators will have to pay an extra $45 to get their vehicles back.

The new contract went into effect Oct. 10 and was awarded to Express Towing, which has held the city's contract since 2000.

The city council voted to change the way a towing contract was awarded at the Oct. 5 city council meeting.

The new contract requires the tow company to pay Carbondale $16,300 in exchange for the increased tow fees. The company paid nothing to the city under last year's contract.

"The exclusivity of the towing contract, we feel, is a value to the tow company," said City Manager Jeff Doherty.

Past contracts were awarded to towing companies with the lowest bid for police ordered tows, but the city found people who violated the law benefited the most from this type of contract.

Before the new contract, city ordered tows for violations such as vehicle abandonment or removal of a vehicle after an arrest, had a $10 fee for the release of the car.

In contrast, the limit of fees for a nonconsensual tow in Carbondale, which is regulated by city ordinance, is $55.

"We don't tow from private parking," City Manager Jeff Doherty said. "We do regulate what they can charge."

While the price for police ordered tows were lower, the contractor could still profit when an owner needed their car towed after an accident, he said.

"If they have a preference, that's who the police call," Doherty said. "If they don't, police will call the city contractor."

Leroy Walker, manager of Express Towing, said the city must first request a vehicle to be towed and according to Doherty the city will not request a vehicle to be towed for violations such as an expired meter.

Instead, the city uses boots, which make the car immobile, after a third parking violation. It stays on the car until the owner pays all their fines.

"The use of the boot is a better approach when you have multiple outstanding parking tickets," Doherty said. "You know were your car is but can't move it."

However, the city will tow a vehicle if it is left on a street or creates an unsafe traffic situation, Doherty said.

The new contract requires vehicle owners, whose cars are towed at the city's request, to pay $55 and a $10 storage fee per day.

The raise in fees brings the price violators pay for city requested tows close to that of the SIUC Department of Public Safety.

If a University police officer requests a tow, the company that tows the vehicle can charge the owners up to $46 and $5 per day for storage, said Todd Sigler, director of University Police.

"Any tow we request is initiated by a police officer," Sigler said.

Furthermore, the University police department does not have a contract with one company, but rotates through a list of companies that meet the department's standards.

Like the city, when someone gets in an accident and needs towing on campus, it is up to the vehicle owner what company does the towing, Sigler said.

To prevent towing, Doherty said, to park in city lots, but warned that tickets will be issued if the meter is not paid.

 

 

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