Towing service wants county to change to bid system

Towing service wants county to change to bid system



TERRE HAUTE — A Terre Haute company is asking the Vigo County Board of Commissioners to consider bidding out a contract between the county and towing companies.



“Towing companies and municipalities are both moving in the direction to form these relationships and contacts, and it is something we would like commissioners to consider,” Jason Durr of Durr’s Towing & Recovery told commissioners Tuesday.



“The industry is changing in many directions, including environmental and procedural guidelines that must be complied with. There are a variety of compliance issues that only affect those providing service to police agencies, separate from the general towing company issues,” Bob Durr of Durr’s Towing said in a letter given to the board.



“Virtually all police agencies use a contract to protect and benefit not only the towing companies, but also the county and agency itself from liability issues,” Bob Durr wrote.



Durr’s Towing already has a contract with Terre Haute’s Board of Public Works and Safety.



Sheriff Jon Marvel asked commissioners to have the county attorney review the addition of a county fee to such a contract that would be assessed to a driver’s insurance company. The fee would help pay for gasoline and maintenance costs of a deputy responding to an accident, the sheriff said.



Marvel said the fee is already implemented in Marion County and a few other large Indiana counties.



Under state law, the county must bid out a towing contract or have a rotation of towing companies, County Attorney Michael Wright said.



The sheriff currently uses a rotation of two companies — Durr’s and Peffley & Hinshaw — to tow vehicles. Durr’s is used for all vehicles north of Wabash Avenue and Peffley for all vehicles south of Wabash Avenue.



“I have no preference. However, with a contract, a dispatcher would not have to take time to look up where a vehicle is, either north or south … and simply call for a wrecker service,” Marvel said.



“Obviously the County Council is looking at everything, and with less money coming in from the state and federal government, this fee, that would be assessed to insurance companies, would help. I do not want our sheriff take-home vehicle program going away, so we have to find some way to keep that going,” Marvel said.



The sheriff said every driver, under state law, is required to have automobile insurance.



Commissioners took the issue under advisement pending a review from the county attorney