Proposed ordinance would increase cost to owners of towed vehicles

Sep. 29—The cost of towing services for those involved in wrecks or whose vehicles are impounded by the Police Department would increase by 60% for a typical tow and would double for some services if the Decatur City Council approves a rate increase proposed this week.

At issue is how much companies that participate in the city's wrecker rotation can charge for their services.

Councilman Hunter Pepper proposed ordinance changes at a council work session Monday that would increase the rates of as many as 20 services in the city's charge list after meeting recently with police Lt. George Silvestri and Kenny Hetrick, manager of All Star Towing & Recovery of Decatur.

The city's rate ordinance impacts all city-arranged wrecker services, including towing disabled vehicles, flipping overturned vehicles or towing vehicles after police citations for offenses like driving under the influence or without a license. Rates for private tows are between the wrecker company and the vehicle owner and are not affected by the ordinance.

"The (proposed) rates would be competitive with the other towns around us like Priceville and Trinity and Morgan County," Pepper said.

Silvestri was not available for comment, but police Chief Todd Pinion said Silvestri reported that he was "amenable" to the changes after the meeting with Pepper and Hetrick.

There are 17 wrecker companies that pay $100 a month or $1,100 a year to be on Decatur's rotation list. The money goes to Morgan County 911.

Decatur's only revenue from wrecker companies is from their purchase of an annual business license that allows them to operate in the city. Morgan County 911 calls a wrecker service when it comes up on the rotation list. If there's no answer or no truck available, the dispatcher moves on to the next company on the list.

Under the proposed ordinance amendment, the cost to a vehicle owner for towing a wrecked or disabled two-axle vehicle weighing less than 10,000 pounds, now $125, would increase to $200. The current $150 cost for towing a vehicle between 10,0001 pounds and 20,000 pounds would increase to $250, and the cost of flipping an overturned vehicle weighing less than 10,000 pounds, now $50, would increase to $100.

Storage or impoundment of a vehicle remains free for the first 24 hours, but increases from $20 to $40 daily for the second 24 hours and each day thereafter. After-hours release of a vehicle to the owner would go from $35 to $50. — Penalties

Pinion pointed out the proposed ordinance change also includes new penalties for wrecker services who fail to respond to a call when it's their turn on the rotation list.

The proposed penalties for a wrecker service's lack of response are progressively more severe for repeated offenses within a one-year period. After a warning on the first violation, a wrecker service would be suspended 30 days from the rotation for a second offense, 90 days for a third and one year for a fourth violation. The service would be removed permanently from the rotation list with a fifth violation.

Pepper said rate increases are necessary because "wrecker services have bills to pay and families to feed."

He said wrecker services aren't considered first responders like police officers, firefighters or emergency medical technicians, "but by golly, they stick to their craft. They come running whenever someone needs help."

However, Councilman Billy Jackson said he doesn't think there's a need to increase the rates, especially since a wrecker service "can opt out of the rotation at any time if it's a cost hindrance to any business."

"The prices we have in place are fair. They've become more tolerable to people over time while the wrecker service has an opportunity to make money on this (by participating in the rotation)," Jackson said.

Pepper said he understands Jackson's point but he believes keeping the rates low puts the city at risk of losing the wrecker services' business.

"What if we lost every wrecker service in the rotation? We'd be screwed," Pepper said. "They've got to make enough to run their business and feed their family."

Pepper pointed out that wrecker services are helpful to the city's first responders. For example, he said two wreckers at Monday afternoon's five-vehicle wreck at the intersection of Beltline Road and Spring Avenue Southwest were "helping the Fire Department with directing traffic and clearing the roadway."

Councilman Carlton McMasters, who ran Monday's meeting in the absence of Council President Jacob Ladner, and Councilman Kyle Pike both said they would likely support the proposal but they want to do more research.

"I do know it's been a long time since they've had an increase so I'm open to increasing the rates," Pike said. "As of right now, I don't have an issue with the increases."

Mayor Tab Bowling proposed rate increases in 2017. However, former Council President Paige Bibbee said council members at the time had several questions about the proposal, so it never came up for a vote.

After talking to Pinion, McMasters said he thinks "it wouldn't hurt if we go up on rates. He said our officers are having to wait too long for wreckers in the rotation and expenses are up."

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.