Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council Regular Meeting of August 27, 2019
Title
TOWING AND STORAGE SERVICES CONTRACT
(Acting Police Chief Milton McKinnon)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Approve the proposal for towing and storage services from Bruffy’s Tow for a one (1) year contract with the option to extend for two additional one (1) year terms; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute the contract and the City Clerk to attest.
Body
Executive Summary:
The City’s contract for towing and storage services has expired and there are no additional available extensions. The City needs to establish a new contract for towing and storage services. Staff published a Request for Proposals (RFP) for these services and received four proposals. The four proposals were evaluated and three were determined to meet requirements. Staff met with the three remaining bidders, conducted site visits, and contacted references to determine each company’s ability to meet the City’s needs. Based on this evaluation, Staff recommends that the towing and storage services contract be awarded to Bruffy’s Tow due to their extensive experience and positive reviews by other municipal clients.
Background:
The City had a one-year contract with Frank Scotto Towing for towing and storage services which started in September 2014. The contract with Frank Scotto Towing had the option for two, one-year extensions. The last contract extension with Frank Scotto Towing expired in September 2017. To establish a new contract for towing and storage services and to explore other companies that may be able to provide improved services, staff published a Request for Proposal (RFP) on April 15, 2019. Notice of the RFP was published in the Easy Reader newspaper on April 4, 2019 and April 11, 2019. The RFP included the minimum requirements to be considered for this contract. Staff also established an RFP review committee, which included the Police Department Operations Division Commander Lt. Dorothy Scheid, Investigative and Administrative Services Division Commander Lt. Landon Phillips, and the Community Services Division Manager Peter Ahlstrom.
Analysis:
In response to the RFP, staff received four proposals from local towing companies by the May 6, 2019 deadline. The RFP review committee evaluated each of the proposals and determined that three companies met the minimum requirements.
The table below shows the proposed rates for the top three companies:
The RFP review committee met with management of the three companies to discuss their ability to meet the City’s needs. After meeting with each company, the RFP review committee narrowed the proposals to two finalists, US Towing in Hawthorne, and Bruffy’s Tow in Los Angeles.
The RFP review committee conducted site visits at US Tow and Bruffy’s Tow. Both companies demonstrated impressive facilities, which included available indoor storage, 24/7 security and video surveillance, evidence storage, and adequate trucks and equipment.
US Tow has been in business for 13 years and has been the towing contractor for the City of Hawthorne for the last 12 years. US Tow started a new contract with the City of Gardena on July 1, 2019. The staff of US Tow is very professional and knowledgeable about laws pertaining to towing and storage of vehicles. Staff contacted references for US Tow at the Hawthorne Police Department and Gardena Police Department. Because their contract with Gardena just started, references at Gardena PD could not comment on the company’s ability to meet their needs. The reference at Hawthorne PD stated that US Tow provides excellent service and they have been very pleased with them. Since US Tow started their contract with Gardena, Hawthorne has noticed that they have had some minor delays in their services. Despite the recent changes to US Tow, Hawthorne PD recommends them for towing and storage services.
Bruffy’s Tow has been in business for 36 years and currently contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and several other agencies in the area. Bruffy’s Tow operates 24/7 and does not charge vehicle owners any additional fees for after-hours business. Bruffy’s Tow received the highest rating from the RFP review committee during the initial review of their proposal. The staff at Bruffy’s Tow is very professional with a long history with the company and extensive knowledge of the towing business. As an Official Police Garage of LAPD, Bruffy’s Tow is subject to several requirements by the City of Los Angeles, which meet or exceed the needs of Hermosa Beach. Staff contacted references for Bruffy’s Tow at LAPD and LA County Sheriff’s Department. References at LAPD recommended Bruffy’s Tow. A reference at LASD Marina Del Rey Station stated that they had no issues with Bruffy’s Tow and recommended them. Another reference from the LA County Sheriff’s Department stated that he had been in charge of the administration of their contract with LASD, which includes unannounced inspections, for 15 years. In that time, LASD had not had any complaints with Bruffy’s Tow and considers them one of their “better yards”. Staff contacted references at LAPD and reviewed their file for all complaints received about Bruffy’s Tow since 2010. In nine years, Bruffy’s Tow received very few complaints, most of which were categorized as “Not Sustained.” Bruffy’s Tow did have a few “Sustained” complaints related to their response time but the file indicated that the delays were due to unavoidable circumstances and were immediately corrected. References at LAPD recommended Bruffy’s Tow.
Both US Tow and Bruffy’s Tow demonstrated that they are very professional and capable of meeting the needs of Hermosa Beach. Considering that US Tow recently started a new contract with Gardena, which may have affected their response times in Hawthorne, it may be too much for them to start another city contract at this time. Bruffy’s Tow has not started any new contracts recently and may be in a better position to absorb the additional workload. Due to their more extensive experience, and their apparent ability to better manage an additional city contract, Staff recommends that the towing and storage services contract be awarded to Bruffy’s Tow. Staff requests that the City Council authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with Bruffy’s Tow for towing and storage services for one (1) year, with the option to extend the contract for two (2) additional years.
General Plan Consistency:
PLAN Hermosa, the City’s General Plan, was adopted by the City Council in August 2017. PLAN Hermosa was divided into seven elements, each with multiple goals. The acceptance of the contract with Bruffy’s Tow for towing and storage services will help accomplish several goals of the Mobility and Public Safety Elements.
Mobility Element
Goal 2 - A public realm that is safe, comfortable, and convenient for travel via foot, bicycle, public transit, and automobile and creates vibrant, people oriented public spaces that encourage active living.
• 2.2 Encourage traffic calming. Encourage traffic calming policies and techniques to improve the safety and efficient movement of people and vehicles along residential areas and highly trafficked corridors.
Goal 7 - A transportation system that results in zero transportation-related fatalities and which minimizes injuries.
• 7.1 Safe public right-of-ways. Encourage that all public right-of-ways are safe for all users at all times of day where users of all ages and ability feel comfortable participating in both motorized and non-motorized travel.
Public Safety Element
Goal 5 - High quality police and fire protection services provided to residents and visitors.
• 5.2 High level of response. Achieve optimal utilization of allocated public safety resources and provide desired levels of response, staffing, and protection within the community.
Fiscal Impact:
There is a positive fiscal impact by awarding a new towing and storage contract to Bruffy’s Tow through the collection of vehicle impound fees. The City’s current vehicle impound release fee is $219 per vehicle. The City impound release fees will be collected by the tow company, which will then be paid to the City on a monthly basis.
Attachments:
1. Request for Proposals for Towing and Storage Services
2. Towing and Storage Services contract with Bruffy’s Tow
Respectfully Submitted by: Landon Phillips, Lieutenant
Concur: Milton McKinnon, Acting Chief of Police
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager