§ 12-148. General towing procedure for law enforcement.

(a)

For all vehicles pursuant to law enforcement action, including but not limited to motor vehicle collision when there is no vehicle owner request for private towing, vehicle breakdown when there is no vehicle owner request for private towing, vehicle recovery pursuant to arrest, abandoned and/or derelict pursuant to state law, or nuisance parking tows, the following procedures shall apply.

(b)

In the matter of non-emergency abandoned and/or derelict vehicles tagged for towing pursuant to state law on private property, city council shall be provided a list of abandoned and/or derelict vehicles on private property and in a regularly scheduled public meeting, shall provide the owner an opportunity to address the abandoned or derelict nature of the vehicle before authorizing the police department to enter and tow. City council authorization is not required for any other towing event.

(c)

When entry to the vehicle is available, an inventory of the vehicle and its contents shall be taken before the tow. If the vehicle is locked, then a visual inventory of the interior is sufficient.

(d)

The law enforcement officer taking the action shall completely fill out a tow sheet to be kept at the law enforcement center, and a copy to be provided to the towing operator on the date of towing, and, in the case of metered parking impoundment, shall immediately call in the color, year, make, model, tag if any, VIN if any, and location from which the vehicle was towed to the law enforcement center.

(e)

Within ten days of the law enforcement request for towing, the towing or storage operator shall submit a list to the chief of police identifying the vehicles in their possession. Within ten days of the receipt of the identifying list, the chief of police shall provide at no cost the current owner's and lien holders' names and addresses along with the make, model and VIN. The towing or storage operator shall notify the owner and lien holders by registered or certified mail that the vehicle is in their possession. The towing or storage operator is responsible for notices to owners and lien holders regardless of the circumstances of how they came into possession of a vehicle.

(f)

Except in cases in which vehicles are being held for evidentiary purposes in pending criminal prosecutions or in which outstanding bonds for illegal parking in the city remain unsatisfied, no release is required from the city in order to redeem a vehicle by the owner or lien holder paying applicable towing and storage charges.

(Ord. No. 2016-62, 8-9-16)