Towing companies may have a new alternative to towing from tight spaces and cramped parking decks.
The Auburn City Council is set to discuss an ordinance that would increase the current fees for wheel-locking to a maximum of $50.
"I ran into one of the towing company owners, and he told me how difficult it is to tow out of these parking decks [such as 160 Ross]," said Ward 4 Councilman Brent Beard. "We have a couple more that are going to be coming online soon, and there's an increased liability to those towing companies and the property owners."
Based on existing city ordinance, for the first one to two hours a car has been locked the locking company may charge a maximum of $25. The fee increases to $35 for two to four hours, $50 for four to six hours and $65 for any time longer than six hours.
"We have this graduated fee scale, and it wouldn't be a good business decision to put wheel-locking on when the fee scale runs from $25-$65 and the towing fee is $100," Beard said. "You have to invest in the cost of the boots and all of that stuff."
If the Council passes the proposed ordinance, the new maximum fee for any length of time would be $50, which is intended to be a viable alternative to the more profitable $100 towing fee.
"It's still half of what the towing fee is," Beard said. "I just think it would be another option than trying to tow from these tight parking decks. There is an issue trying to pull them out of those tight parking spaces."
Auburn University currently uses wheel-locking in its parking decks as a less dramatic and more inexpensive alternative to towing.
The Auburn City Council meets Tuesday evening at 6:45 p.m. in the City Council chambers at 171 N. Ross St.
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