1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: February 28, 2023
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Michael Albanese, Chief of Police
VIA: Denis Cremins, Captain – Administrative Services
BY: Eduardo Ruiz, Lieutenant – Professional Standards Bureau
SUBJECT: Review of the City of Burbank’s Vehicle Tow and Storage Services
RECOMMENDATION
Note and file.
BACKGROUND
During public comment at several City Council meetings in 2022, concerns were expressed by a member of the public regarding the City’s agreement for the provision of vehicle tow and storage services. At the October 4, 2022, City Council meeting, former Council Member Bob Frutos requested an informational report on the City’s vehicle tow and storage services.
DISCUSSION
To support law enforcement actions conducted in accordance with California Vehicle Code 22651, Authority to Remove Vehicles, the City requires the services of an official police tow service provider (OPTS) for the efficient and safe removal of vehicles from roadways. These services are necessary to provide roadside assistance or tow services for disabled motorists, removal of inoperative vehicles involved in traffic collisions, removal of vehicles or other objects creating traffic hazards, the impound of abandoned vehicles, the impound of vehicles as criminal evidence, the impound of vehicles whose owners have failed to pay multiple outstanding parking citations as prescribed by state and local law, and assistance for disabled police or other City vehicles.
2 Requirements for the Provision of Services
To efficiently provide the necessary services in a manner expected by the City, the OPTS must meet requirements pertaining to its location, response time, accessibility, lot size/storage capability, security, and designated space for evidence storage.
Location – The provider’s facility must be in a location that is convenient for community members and City personnel. Location within the City is preferable so that community members (who may not have access to a vehicle due to an impound) are not burdened with the necessity to travel out of the City to pick up their vehicle and/or retrieve personal belongings. Police Department personnel also access the facility frequently, and a location in the City reduces staff travel time.
Response Time – The provider must be able to promptly respond to all requests for service at any time during the day or night, on weekends, and on holidays. Accessibility – The provider’s location must be readily accessible to provide services for community members and City personnel as needed. The Police Department requires prompt access to the facility at all times for the purposes of conducting criminal investigations.
Lot Size/Storage Capability - The City’s needs require a storage lot or lots with an aggregate area of at least fifty thousand (50,000) square feet for the storage of vehicles. The lot must also be capable of accommodating storage for vehicles of various types and sizes.
Security – The provider’s location must have adequate security to ensure the safe storage of privately owned vehicles, City vehicles, and items of evidence. Security requirements include enclosed (by wall or fencing) secure storage areas, methods for restricted entry/exit, lighting, and security measures to reasonably preclude theft or damage to stored vehicles.
Designated Space for Evidence Storage – The provider’s location must have sufficient and secure space for the storage of at least 15 vehicles impounded for fingerprints or other forensic evidence and for the exclusive storage for six vehicles being held for investigation or court proceedings.
History of Agreements
To provide these services, the City has worked with local service provider Girard and Peterson, Inc., (hereinafter referred to as G&P) since 1978. Listed below is a summary of the City’s agreements with G&P.
Resolution and Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (Attachment 1) o City Council approved October 3, 1978
o Agreement approved for a 5-year term
o City Council authorized the City Manager to approve an extension of the agreement pursuant to mutual agreement by all parties
3 Resolution and Modification and Extension of Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (Attachment 2)
o City Council approved August 30, 1983
o Agreement amended to a 10-year term (extending the original term for another 5 years)
Amended Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (Attachment 3) o As authorized by City Council, the City Manager approved an extension of the agreement January 27, 1989
o Agreement approved for a 10-year term
Resolution and Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (Attachment 4) o City Council approved November 17, 1998
o Agreement approved for a 10-year term
o City Council authorized the City Manager to approve an extension of the agreement for an additional term of 10 years pursuant to mutual agreement by all parties
Resolution and Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (Attachment 5) o City Council approved November 18, 2008
o Agreement approved for a 10-year term
o City Council authorized the City Manager to approve an extension of the agreement for an additional term of 10 years pursuant to mutual agreement by all parties
Amendment to Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (Attachment 6) o City Council approved July 9, 2013
o Amendment included provision for the designated storage space for six vehicles that are held by the Police Department for investigative purposes; vehicle storage charged at a rate to the City of $1,000 per space per year (total of $6,000 annually)
Amendment to Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (Attachment 7) o As authorized by City Council pursuant to the 2008 agreement, the City Manager approved an extension of the agreement effective November 20, 2018
o Agreement extended for an initial four-year term (November 20, 2018, to November 19, 2022), with the option for two renewals for three-year terms each (contingent upon City Manager approval)
4 Exercise of First Option to Renew and Third Amendment to the Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (Attachment 8)
o As authorized by City Council pursuant to the 2008 agreement and the 2018 agreement amendment, the City Manager approved an extension of the agreement effective November 20, 2022
o Agreement exercised the first three-year renewal term (November 20, 2022, to November 19, 2025)
Either party may terminate the current agreement by providing 30 days written notice to the other party. In the event the provider fails to adequately perform all services as required, the City reserves the right to contract for services with other service providers.
The City’s Purchasing Division processes all contracts for services for the City.
Purchasing processes are conducted in accordance with guidelines established by Burbank Municipal Code (BMC) Chapter 2 – Purchases, Contracts and Sales and City of Burbank Administrative Procedure VI-9 Purchasing Procedure (Attachment 9). It is the policy of the City to select a professional service provider based on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the types of services to be performed. As per BMC section 2-2-112 Exceptions to Competitive Bidding (Attachment 10), competitive bidding for goods and services may be dispensed when the annual amount of the purchase or contract is ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or less per vendor, per year, per departmental division. The City Council has the authority to approve multi-year agreements and the City Manager may approve and execute multi-year agreements with a cumulative value of up to $100,000.
Girard and Peterson, Inc. Operations and Services
G&P has operated in Burbank since 1965
from an approximately 65,000 square foot
facility located at 154 West Providencia
Avenue. The property is surrounded by
fencing, with controlled access through a
secure gate. Entry into the facility is limited
for the purposes of conducting a vehicle
impound, performing a storage transaction,
and for conducting Police Department or
City business. The facility’s lot is well lit
with bright light emitting diode (LED)
lighting and there is signage throughout the
interior and exterior of the lot pertaining to security and video monitoring. The facility utilizes 34 high-definition security cameras to conduct 24 hours a day, seven days a week monitoring. Security cameras provide coverage of the entire interior and perimeter areas of the facility. The facility grounds are well-maintained in a clean and well-organized
5 manner. There is ample parking for customers and employees, to include the availability of accessible parking spaces.
The facility maintains a 4,000 square foot warehouse with designated space for the secure storage of vehicles impounded as items of evidence for a police investigation.
This area is clearly identified via signage as a restricted area, and entry and exit are limited to Police Department personnel and G&P employees only. Each time an authorized person enters and exits the secure warehouse, they are required to sign in and out as well as indicate the reason for access. The inside and perimeter of the secure evidence storage area is equipped with security cameras, monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Police Department personnel can access this area any time as needed to retrieve and review evidence, to include during off-hours, on Sundays, and on holidays (regular business days are Monday through Saturday). The storage warehouse is fully enclosed, minimizing the exposure of evidence to weather conditions, and is equipped with a fire suppression system.
G&P employs two office personnel and 13 tow operators, all who live in Burbank or in neighboring cities. The proximity of G&P employees’ residences to the City provides the ability to rapidly respond to calls for service at all times. G&P employees have extensive experience, with each employee having an average of 20 years working within the industry. Each tow operator is required to complete a law enforcement background
6 investigation conducted by the California Highway Patrol, maintain a state commercial driver’s license, and attain certification through the California Tow Truck Association (CTTA). CTTA certification provides training and education that includes safety, professionalism, procedures for light and heavy-duty towing, and traffic incident management response.
Employees wear professional work uniforms clearly identifying them as G&P employees and don reflective safety vests as appropriate in the performance of their duties.
Employees are expected to wear clean uniforms with name tags, safety boots, and maintain personal hygiene and appearance to project a professional image. G&P offers employees competitive wages and benefit packages.
G&P tow vehicles are well-maintained, and equipment is updated regularly to sustain a contemporary fleet that meets all state of California emissions standards. The current fleet consists of 13 tow vehicles with differing capabilities to provide a broad range of services to the City and members of the community. The number of vehicles in the fleet and the number of staff employed by G&P ensures sufficient resources to meet the City’s needs. G&P can manage responses to multiple calls for service occurring at the same time, situations when more than one tow vehicle is required at a scene, and situations when one tow vehicle may be occupied for a significant amount of time due to a complex, time-consuming scene (e.g., pulling a vehicle out of the wash). G&P also maintains four to six forklifts and one mobile platform lift for use in the field and at the facility to manage storage and to prevent damage to vehicles moved during storage.
All G&P vehicles have safety equipment and identifiable markings displaying the name and telephone number of the company as required by California Vehicle Code. The tow equipment maintained by G&P provides the ability to tow all forms of vehicles, including motorcycles, passenger cars, mid and large size trucks, helicopters, and heavy equipment. As part of the agreement, G&P provides (at no cost to the City), routine roadside services including towing for all vehicles owned by the City. These services are provided to City vehicles within the City of Burbank or within five (5) road miles of the City limits. The G&P fleet has the capacity to provide tow services for large vehicles operated by the City, to include fire and waste management trucks. The largest vehicles currently operated by the City have a maximum gross vehicle weight of 60,000 lbs.
Details on the G&P fleet and photos of several G&P vehicles are displayed on the following page.
7 *Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the maximum tow weight capacity for the vehicle
Provision of Services to the City
The Police Department completes a call for service to G&P when there is a situation requiring vehicle tow or impound services. Calls for service are processed through the Year Make Model Color Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating*
2005 Landoll 425 White 66,000 LBS
2012 Dodge 5500 White 19,500 LBS
2015 Kenworth T800 White 65,000 LBS
2015 Peterbilt PB330 White 26,000 LBS
2016 Dodge 5500 Red 19,500 LBS
2016 Kenworth T370 White 33,000 LBS
2016 Dodge 5500 White 19,500 LBS
2018 Dodge 5500 White 19,500 LBS
2019 Chevy C6500 Red 22,940 LBS
2021 Chevy C6500 White 22,940 LBS
2021 Dodge 5500 White 19,500 LBS
2022 Peterbilt 337 Red 33,000 LBS
2022 Dodge 5500 White 19,500 LBS
8 Communications Center, that places the request for service via a telephone call to G&P’s dispatch. G&P uses a digital dispatch system to manage the deployment of vehicles in response to calls for service. From 2018 to 2022, the Department completed a total of 9,485 calls for service to G&P (an average of 1,897 calls per year or just over 5 calls per day). Total calls for service from 2018 to 2022 are displayed in the chart below.
Prompt and efficient responses to calls for service are important to maintain roadways clear from blockage and debris and to maintain the orderly flow of traffic. The City’s contractual agreements for services have included requirements pertaining to the service provider’s response time to calls for service. The current contractual response time is required to not exceed 15 minutes. Between 2018 and 2022, G&P’s average response time to calls for service was 12 minutes. The total time to complete a call for service was 69 minutes (calculated from time of call receipt to full completion of services). Information on call for service response and completion times from 2018 to 2022 is displayed in the chart below.
20531832123521072258050010001500200025002018 2019 2020 2021 2022# OF CALLS FOR SERVICE Vehicle Tow/Impound Calls for Service2018 to 2022
4612 2111312 12 1292616474540204060801002018 2019 2020 2021 2022# OF MINUTES Call for Service Response and Completion Times 2018 to 2022 Avg. Time to Dispatch
Avg. Time to Arrive
Avg. Time to Complete Call
9 Fees are charged to a vehicle’s owner for towing, storage, and the release of a vehicle from storage. These rates are required not to exceed those established annually by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for the geographic area encompassing the City.
Options for the Provision of Services
There are two vehicle tow and storage service providers licensed to conduct services within the City as required under the terms of the agreement. One of these service providers is G&P and the other is Best Car Tow, located at 3078 North Lima Street. Best Car Tow’s facility lot is approximately 6,522 square feet, with the capacity to store a total of seven to 10 vehicles. This provider does not have an area that would meet the needs for a designated, secure evidence storage area as required by the Police Department.
G&P is the only licensed provider located within the City with the capacity to meet the City’s needs.
The City of Los Angeles has 18 official vehicle tow and storage providers located throughout the City. The two closest facilities to the City of Burbank are located at distances of 9.4 miles and 9.6 miles respectively from the Burbank Police Station (approximately 25 minutes one-way travel time to each location in moderate traffic conditions). A map of the City of Los Angeles’ service providers is displayed below.
City’s Satisfaction with Service Delivery
Throughout the history of the City’s agreements with G&P, the City has been highly satisfied with the services provided. G&P is responsive to calls for service, efficient in the
10 performance of vehicle tow and storage services, and staff are professional in their interactions with community members and Police Department and City personnel. The City does not regularly receive complaints from members of the community pertaining to the professionalism or service provided by G&P.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City pays $6,000 annually for the designated storage space for six vehicles being held for investigation or court proceedings. Funding for these costs is included in the Police Department’s annual recurring budget.
The City is entitled to additional spaces as needed at a rate of $100 per space per month.
Any other tow or storage services for which the City is responsible shall be billed to the City at 50% of the rate authorized under the agreement. The Police Department allocates $1,500 of its annual recurring budget for towing service costs.
There is no cost to the City associated with private vehicle tow or storage services. Fees for the tow, storage, and release of privately owned vehicles are charged to the vehicle owner. The City does not receive any payment from G&P from the collection of fees from vehicle owners. Tow services for City-owned vehicles is provided at no-cost.
CONCLUSION
To ensure the efficient and safe removal of vehicles from roadways, the City requires the services of a professional, capable, and responsive vehicle tow and storage provider.
The City Council has approved the City’s continued collaboration with local business G&P for many years to provide these services. G&P has consistently met and/or exceeded the City’s expectations through the provision of high-quality and professional services.
G&P is the only licensed service provider located within the City with the capacity to meet the requirements for the City’s vehicle tow and storage needs. The current agreement for services runs through November 19, 2025, with an option for a three-year renewal upon approval by the City Manager. Staff recommends Council to note and file this report.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Resolution No. 18,510 Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage Service (1978)
Attachment 2 – Resolution No. 20,702 A Modification and Extension of Agreement (1983) 11 Attachment 3 – Amended Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage Service (1989) Attachment 4 – Resolution No. 25,416 Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (1998) Attachment 5 – Resolution No. 27,819 Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (2008) Attachment 6 – Amendment to Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (2013) Attachment 7 – Amendment to the Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (2018) Attachment 8 – Exercise of First Option to Renew and Third Amendment to the Agreement for Vehicle Towing and Storage (2022)
Attachment 9 – City of Burbank Administrative Procedure VI-9 Purchasing Procedure Attachment 10 – Burbank Municipal Code Section 2-2-112 Exceptions to Competitive Bidding