COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 2, 2023
TO: SHASA CURL, CITY MANAGER
FROM: JESUS M. MORALES, HOUSING MANAGER
LINA VELASCO, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
RE: MEMO FOR REQUEST FOR QUOTES FOR ON-CALL TOWING AND
DEMOLITION SERVICES OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES (RVs)
On March 15th- 28th, 2023, Way 2 Love, Inc, on behalf of the City of Richmond Housing Division, solicited a Request for Quotes (RFQ) for on-call towing and demolition services of Recreational Vehicles (RVs) to support the Castro encampment resolution.
The RFQ was sent to three vendors via email as an informal solicitation. All three vendors responded to the RFQ; Oliver’s Tow, Inc., Ben’s Towing, and Superstar Towing.
A Request for Quotes were sent to the following vendors:
VENDOR CONTACT
NAME
EMAIL / PHONE NO. QUOTE CITY
Oliver’s Tow,
Inc.
Randy Wilcox [email protected],
510-367-0942
$1,500 Richmond
Superstar
Towing
Manoj
Kumar
[email protected]
510-374-2071
Does not
have a
heavy duty
truck
Richmond
Ben’s Towing Benjamin
Garcia
[email protected]
510-815-6759
$2,400 Richmond
The three towing companies solicited through this RFQ are currently providing similar towing services to the City of Richmond or other local municipalities. All three firms are highly experienced around towing vehicles, however, only Oliver’s Tow, Inc. provides towing and demolition for RVs within a reasonable price range. Ben’s Towing
can provide towing and demolition service, but their per unit price is substantially higher than Oliver’s Tow, Inc., see attached quotes. The other firm can tow recreational vehicles but only after the body of the vehicle has been demolished leaving the frame to be towed.
This would require the use of Richmond PD and Public Works resources that need to be scheduled in advance on a monthly basis and would prolong the removal of the RVs on- site, which may attract new residents to the encampment. This service does not meet the needs for RV towing and demolition required for the Castro encampment.
About the Castro Encampment Resolution Project
The Castro Encampment Resolution Project (CERP) is a grant-funded project that is using a Housing First approach to house people living in a recreational vehicle on-site by providing rental assistance and housing navigation services. Once encampment residents are housed, the resident turns in their RV by signing a vehicle waiver and abandonment form to the City for removal and demolition. Often these vehicles are older, inoperable RVs or trucks that need to be towed to prevent former residents from returning to encampment or new people occupying them). Waiting for Parking Enforcement or Richmond Police Department to schedule tows using the City’s existing towing contracts exacerbates the problem of keeping the RV unoccupied and or being systematically ransacked. Oliver’s Towing has previously provided similar services to the Community Development Department when the city resolved the Rydin Vehicle encampment.
Scope of Work
The towing company will be on-call to tow recreational vehicles (RVs) from the Castro encampment within 24 - 48 hours after notification by the CERP manager via telephone and or email. Towing company will be fully responsible for accessing and moving RV to load, haul, tow, remove from the Castro encampment and to demolish and dispose of the RV.
Recommended Vendor
Oliver’s Tow, Inc. is being selected as the City’s preferred vendor based on their cost quote and experience completing the work proposed in the scope of work. Superstar Towing was determined to not have the required towing vehicle to be able to tow all the RV sizes that exists on the site, and Ben’s Towing was more expensive than Oliver’s Towing.
The service contract will be for an amount not-to-exceed $10,000, and term will be from June 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
From: Way Love
To: Jesus Morales
Subject: Fw: Quote tow
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2023 4:33:26 PM
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
From: Benjamin Garcia <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2023 2:48 PM
To: Way Love <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Quote
Tow -$600
Disposal Fee -$800
Labor fee -$550
Equipment Fee- $450
Total per RV -$2400
On Wed, Mar 29, 2023 at 2:37 PM, Way Love
<[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Ben,
Please see the email, below.
Best,
Vanessa Calloway
From: Way Love <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2023 5:29 PM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Quote
Hi Ben,
Thanks for taking the time to send me your email, Below is the information i was referring to,
The city of Richmond, Community Development Department - Housing Division, is soliciting quotes for on-call towing and demolition services of Recreational Vehicles (RVs) to support the Castro Encampment Resolution Project. Your bid must be inclusive of towing the RV from the Castro Encampment, located at Castro Street and Hensley Street by the Richmond Parkway underpass, and demolishing the RVs offsite. RVs are mostly inoperable but have the ability to roll to facilitate towing access. The RVs are typically 20-40 feet long.
We estimate 30 RVs to be towed under this contract. Please provide a quote for the towing and demolition of up to 30 RVs from the Castro encampment.
Best,
Vanessa A. Calloway
Founder/Executive Director
Way 2 Love Inc
510-255-0108
www.way2loveinc.org
Remember there is a way to love that is right!!!
From: Way Love
To: Jesus Morales
Subject: Fw: Towing (Oliver"s )
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2023 4:32:53 PM
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
From: randy wilcox <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2023 10:43 AM
To: Way Love <[email protected]>
Cc: Jesus_Morales <[email protected]>; Ernest Loucas <[email protected]>; Donovan Decious <[email protected]>; Michelle Milam <[email protected]>; Lina Velasco <[email protected]>; Bisa French <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Towing
Good morning, any unit up to and including 20 feet would be 1100.00 dollars, 21 foot and longer would be 1500.00 dollars. This fee covers the tow, tear down and disposal of each unit.
Thank you,
Randy Wilcox
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
On Thursday, March 9, 2023, 11:14 AM, Way Love <[email protected]> wrote:
Good morning everyone,
I spoke with Randy from Oliver's Towing. I'm working with Randy to propose a contract specifically for the Castro site. This will help in our efforts of once we are placing residents and have received the signed release form, we can contact Oliver's directly.
Thanks Lt Loucas, for the contact and your thought partnership.
Randy will send the proposed cost later today, in this thread.
Best,
Vanessa A. Calloway
Founder/Executive Director
Way 2 Love Inc
510-255-0108
From: Way Love
To: Soco Montore; Jesus Morales
Subject: Fw: Quote
Date: Friday, March 31, 2023 11:45:48 AM
This email originated from outside of the City's email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
Hi Soco,
This is the response from Superstar!
Best,
Vanessa Calloway
Vanessa A. Calloway
Founder/Executive Director
Way 2 Love Inc
510-255-0108
www.way2loveinc.org
Remember there is a way to love that is right!!!
From: Manoj Kumar <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2023 6:39 PM
To: Way Love <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Quote
Hello I sory I have only just meedam duty tow truck I don’t have a heavy duty truck I tow only car I m sorry thanks
On Tue, Mar 28, 2023 at 5:31 PM Way Love <[email protected] > wrote:
Hi Manoj,
Thank you for taking time to speak with me last Thursday. Below is the information I spoke to you about. If you can respond to this email by tomorrow morning with a quote it would be greatly appreciated.
The city of Richmond, Community Development Department - Housing Division, is soliciting quotes for on-call towing and demolition services of Recreational Vehicles (RVs) to support the Castro Encampment Resolution Project. Your bid must be inclusive of towing the RV from the Castro Encampment, located at Castro Street and Hensley Street by the Richmond Parkway underpass, and demolishing the RVs offsite. RVs are mostly inoperable but have the ability to roll to facilitate towing access. The RVs are typically 20-40 feet long. We estimate 30 RVs to be towed under this contract. Please provide a quote for the towing and demolition of up to 30 RVs from the Castro encampment.
Best,
Vanessa A. Calloway
Founder/Executive Director
Way 2 Love Inc
510-255-0108
www.way2loveinc.org
Remember there is a way to love that is right!!!