Report to Mayor and City Council
Monday, November 06, 2017
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER AWARDING TWO (2) NON-EXCLUSIVE TOWING AND STORAGE FRANCISE AGREEMENTS WITH FALCON TOWING AND KRUGER TOWING (CITY COUNCIL)
Body
I. SUMMARY
At the August 15, 2017 City Council Meeting (Item 2017-625), the City Attorney and Staff were directed to negotiate Non-Exclusive Towing and Storage Franchise Agreements with Falcon Towing and Kruger Towing to handle City of Carson-initiated towing and storage requirements (excluding towing and storage requirements initiated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Carson Station). Those Non-Exclusive Franchise Agreements have been negotiated and executed by both Falcon Towing and Kruger Towing and are presented for City Council’s approval.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Award Two (2) Non-Exclusive Towing and Storage Franchise Agreements to Falcon Towing and Kruger Towing and authorizes the Mayor to execute the Agreements.
2. Authorize Staff to send a letter to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recommending that the Carson Station consider adding Falcon Towing to their approved towing list for the City of Carson.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
1. Decline to approve either or both of these Non-Exclusive Towing and Storage Franchise Agreements.
2. Take another action deemed appropriate by the City Council consistent with the requirements of law.
IV. BACKGROUND
The City’s “police powers” permit it to contract for activities related to services provided to the City and residents of the City. Among those activities is the legal authority to tow vehicles. Typically the City will be required to tow abandoned vehicles, non-operable vehicles, illegally parked vehicles, and vehicles involved in accidents or traffic stops. The City’s Code and Parking Control Officers and/or the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (“LASD”) personnel request and authorize the towing of vehicles in the City.
LASD has it’s own and independent process for selecting towing companies to respond to calls for tows by law enforcement. In the LASD process, a panel of LASD Chiefs review towing companies who are interested in towing vehicles for the Department and then award contracts. LASD contracts are for three year terms. Carson’s Sheriff’s Station contract was up for renewal in May, 2017 and the LASD awarded contracts to Carson City Tow and Kruger Tow to provide tows for the Carson Sheriff’s Station. Falcon Towing had not been approved as a qualified tower for the LASD at the time they awarded the agreements to Kruger Towing and Carson City Tow but have since May 2017 Falcon Towing has been approved as a tower for the LASD. As a result, staff is recommending that the City Council authorize staff to send a letter to the LASD recommending that they add Falcon Towing to the approved towing list for Carson.
For City tows, the City has the legal authority to select its own towing company(ies) for City calls for tow services. To this end, staff developed a Request for Towing and Storage Services and received proposals from Falcon Towing and Kruger Towing. Staff then recommended to the City Council that the City Attorney and Staff be directed to negotiate Non-Exclusive Towing and Storage Franchise Agreements with both companies with an annual fee of $25,000. City Code Enforcement performed an inspection of both towing company’s yards and determined that both Falcon Towing and Kruger Towing had yards that were in compliance with the criteria in the RFP and through staff interviews it was determined that both Falcon Towing and Kruger Towing met all the other criteria set forth in the RFP.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
Each Non-Exclusive Towing and Storage Franchisee will pay the City $25,000 annually as part of the Non-Exclusive Towing and Storage Franchise Agreement
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Falcon Towing Non-Exclusive Towing and Storage Franchise Agreement (pgs. 4-96)
2. Kruger Towing Non-Exclusive Towing and Storage Franchise Agreement (Pgs. 97-190)
Prepared by: Dr. Jim Hart, Interim Assistant City Manager