Tow truck operator want to be part of city contract

Buck Wargo

CITY HALL -- A Glendale tow truck operator wants a piece of the pie.

Complaints from Mike Vickstein, the co-owner of Sunset Tow, has

prompted the city to reconsider how it doles out contracts for companies

that respond to service calls from the Glendale Police Department.

Glendale has historically used the services of Crescenta Valley Towing

Service, Gay’s Automotive & Towing Service and Monterey Tow to remove

vehicles damaged in traffic accidents or those abandoned, unregistered,

illegally parked or driven by an improperly licensed driver. Instead, the

tow companies charge vehicle owners fees set by the city for towing and

storage.

Towing companies are allowed to charge $78 for removing cars and $15 a

day for storage -- the same rate as L.A.

Vickstein’s company, in business in Glendale for 12 years, was added

six months ago to handle towing of heavy-duty vehicles, but said he is

lucky to get one call a month. Although he tows for the Public Works

Department, he said he is getting shut out of hundreds of thousands of

dollars that is generated from the police towing calls.

Three-year contracts with the three towing companies are set to expire

in February. Vickstein said he approached the city three years ago at a

time when contracts were just awarded and was told to come back.

“I think Glendale has for eons had a ‘good-ol’-boy’ network like so

many other cities,” he said. “I feel like I had no chance. There was no

process. It is something I don’t have and it is unfair to keep me from

it”

That may be changing, since Glendale City Manager Jim Starbird

directed the Police Department to develop criteria and a process for

awarding contracts. A report will be brought back to the council in the

upcoming weeks, but no one knows what process will be used for the

contracts, he said.

“Everybody wants the opportunity to be considered. We must have a

process that is open,” Starbird said.

Police Chief Russell Siverling said the department wants to be fair

and give everyone the same opportunity. Neither he nor Starbird were in

Glendale when the last contract was awarded.

“We want to give everyone a fair shake. That is what we are all

about,” Siverling said.

Tow truck operators who provide the service aren’t happy that changes

may be made on a system they say has worked.

“I think they ought to say, ‘Why fix it if it ain’t broken,”’ said

Carvel Gay, owner of Gay’s Towing and president of the California Tow

Truck Assn. “It has been a wonderful program for the whole city. They

shouldn’t change it every time somebody knocks on the doors of City Hall.

That would be like going backward.”

Hal Present, the owner of Crescenta Valley Towing, said his company

has worked with the city since 1964. It joined Monterey Towing, which was

designated by the city for several years for towing cars in Glendale, he

said.

Gay’s Towing was added in 1974 at the request of Gay, who said he told

officials he would be able to help the city respond quicker to calls for

service. As a result, Crescenta Valley was giving towing rights in the

Montrose area, Gay serves areas north of the Ventura (134) Freeway and Monterey covers south Glendale.

Tow operators said adding another outfit would further split revenues

in a costly business with hefty insurance tabs and training requirements.

Drivers need good pay and benefits to be retained. Having a process where

the low bidders are accepted would harm service said Gay, whose company

tows about three to four vehicles a day.

Crescenta Valley Towing handles about 30 vehicles a month, Present

said.

“The system is very efficient,” Present said. “Dividing it would not

make it economical for anyone.” Most of the business for tow truck

operators is from auto clubs or general calls from the public. Gay’s and

Crescenta Valley charge $78 for emergency tows and $40 to $50 for

nonemergency tows. Monterey charges $35, plus $3.50 per mile for all

tows.