Modesto panel endorses towing contract

A Modesto City Council committee has forwarded a contract that governs when police have cars towed because of driving-related offenses to the full council for adoption.

Councilman Doug Ridenour — who is the Great Safe Neighborhoods Committee vice chairman — said committee members at their Monday meeting unanimously accepted the proposed contract and recommended the council adopt it.

He said Police Chief Galen Carroll will meet with towing companies that have concerns about implementing the contract, and the committee is recommending a new system that will dispatch the tow trucks be phased in over 90 days to give the towing companies more time to make the transition.

The contract would be between the city and towing companies that perform what are called nonconsensual tows and replaces a contract that expires April 13. Police can have cars towed for such offenses as driving under the influence, driving without a license or with expired registration or driving on a suspended or revoked license.

Drivers pay an administrative fee to the police to get their cars back. The fee now is $160 for all tows but increases under the new contract for certain offenses. For instance, the fee wold be $250 for driving on a suspended or revoked license and $450 for a DUI.

The cost of the tow and storage also will go up. The cost of a tow is now $215 and storage is $39 a day. But under the new contract, the tow is $220 in the contract’s first year, $225 in its second and $230 in the third. Daily storage rates start at $50 and increase by $1 each in the second and third year.

This story was originally published March 16, 2017 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Modesto panel endorses towing contract."