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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Tow Contractor Request for Proposals
1. Motion to release Request for Proposals
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for July 16, 2024 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Glendale contracts with independent tow companies to provide tow and storage services as directed by the Police Department. In 2015, the City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for tow and storage services and on August 1, 2016, entered into contracts with three tow companies. The contracts were for five (5) years with an option for two, two (2) year extensions. The current contracts expire on July 31, 2025.
In anticipation of the expiration of those contracts, the City needs to advertise a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for Official Police Tow Services (OPTS). 2{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
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RECOMMENDATION
Authorize release of the Request for Proposals for Official Police Tow Services.
ANALYSIS
The City is divided into three tow districts. The districts are established to balance the needs of the Police Department to have tow services provided on a timely basis while minimizing the distance members of the public would have to travel in order to recover their cars. The towing districts are generally as follows:
• District 1 The eastern and southern portions of the City. • District 2 The western and southern portions of the City. • District 3 The northern portion of the City.
The tow contracts are currently awarded to Mid-Valley Tow (District 1), Gay’s Towing (District 2), and Crescenta Valley Towing (District 3).
An Official Police Tow Services provider for the City of Glendale is required to respond to calls for service from the Police Department to facilitate the efficient removal of vehicles. These calls for service generally consist of the following:
• roadside assistance or tow services for disabled motorists; • removal of inoperative vehicles involved in traffic accidents; • removal of vehicles or other objects creating traffic hazards; • the impound of abandoned vehicles;
• the impound of vehicles as criminal evidence; and
• assisting disabled police or City vehicles.
The primary objectives of the OPTS providers are to ensure public safety by the expeditious removal of vehicles impeding the roadway, to support the Police Department, and to serve the community.
The Glendale Police Department has jurisdiction for all traffic related events, incidents, accidents and enforcement in the City of Glendale; exclusive of traffic accidents on the freeways which fall under the jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol. The Police Department Traffic Bureau is responsible for overseeing and handling all traffic related services in the City and the management of the tow contracts.
A typical police-related tow requires the Police Department to respond with a patrol car, police motorcycle, or parking enforcement vehicle and evaluate the situation and call for an OPTS provider. The officer then prepares documentation and, in the case of impounds, inventories the car and its contents. Officers must stand by and await the arrival of the OPTS providers. Once the tow arrives, the car is taken to a designated location for storage. That storage area must be convenient and accessible to police personnel and the public and in proximity to the area covered. The owner (or person responsible) of any vehicle that has been towed at the request of the Police Department, is entitled to a Tow Review Hearing conducted by the Department. 3{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
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This hearing is conducted by the Traffic Bureau to determine the facts, the lawfulness, and appropriateness of the tow. The Traffic Bureau is responsible for investigating claims related to tows, citizen complaints regarding tows, OPTS providers or their drivers, and the inspection of OPTS providers’ facilities and equipment.
Staff recommends that the Council adopt a competitive procedure for selecting OPTS Providers, as outlined in the attached RFP (Exhibit 1). The recommended competitive process will allow a number of tow vendors to submit a proposal to the City. This comprehensive RFP includes information on the applicant’s background, financial viability, potential conflicts of interest, demonstrated performance, equipment inventory, facilities available, and ability to provide service to the City. Proposals will be reviewed and scored by staff designated by the Chief of Police. Staff will score each proposal, using the following categories and points:
Category Points
(1) Service Requirements 25
(2) Qualifications of Personnel & Management 20
(3) Facility & Equipment Requirements 25
(4) Prior Experience 15
(5) References 5
(6) Financial Viability 10
(7) MAXIMUM TOTAL POINTS: 100
The evaluation process is set forth in Section 15.3 (Responsible Proposer) of the RFP and includes background checks, site inspections, and interviews. After the designated staff reaches a consensus as to the Responsible Proposer whom they believe can provide the best service to a particular District, they will deliver their written recommendation to the Chief of Police for his consideration. The Chief of Police will then submit a report to the City Council with recommendation(s) regarding the most qualified Proposers for approval to enter into an agreement(s).
Tow vendors will be able to apply for one or all three districts but can only be awarded a contract to provide service to one area. Tow operator facilities can be located within one-half (1/2) mile distance outside the City’s limits. This distance would fairly balance the City’s interest and need to minimize impact upon:
1) Police Operations - by reducing the out of jurisdiction time that officers, detectives, crime scene investigators or forensic technicians spend driving to a distant storage lot for vehicle inspection and other purposes, and consequently, lessening police presence within Glendale and adversely affecting police response time within the community; and 2) Vehicle owners - by ensuring that owners, whose towed and stored vehicle may be their sole means of getting to work or around, do not experience the hardship of having to travel to distant storage yards outside of the city to retrieve their vehicle, and accordingly, safely retrieving their vehicle in a shorter time period. 4{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
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The RFP process will:
• Allow qualified tow operators to participate in a competitive process to become an OPTS Provider for the City of Glendale;
• Allow for a fair and open evaluation for the selection of qualified vendors; and • Establish minimum performance standards to ensure the OPTS Provider continue to provide quality service to the community and to City personnel.
The competitive process not only provides an environment of openness and fair play by the City, but also offers the City a chance to select the best-equipped and best-qualified vendor.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The current and potential tow operators will be advised of the forthcoming RFP.
FISCAL IMPACT
At this time, the RFP is not thought to have a significant financial impact on the Police Department. However, the Police Department expends a substantial amount of valuable time and multiple resources facilitating and regulating tow services in the City. This includes time at the scene of the incident, report writing and processing, release process time, complaint mitigations, and tow hearings and appeals.
The City currently collects a Vehicle Towing Administrative Cost Recovery (VTACR) fee per vehicle in the amount of $271 from each contractor as allowed under GMC
10.55.090.
During calendar year 2023, the Police Department towed 1851 vehicles subject to the VTACR fee. The amount collected in any fiscal year will continue to be dependent upon the number of vehicles released to vehicle owners.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This item is considered a ministerial activity and therefore, not subjected to CEQA/NEPA review. There is no possibility that adoption of this plan may have a significant effect on the environment. (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15061(b)(3)).
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: Not adopt the proposed Motion.
Alternative 2: Direct staff to negotiate an extension with the current OPTS providers.
Alternative 3: The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff. 5{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
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ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Manuel Cid, Police Chief
Prepared by:
Tigran Topadzhikyan, Police Lieutenant
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Request for Proposal