Maricopa to put tow service out to bid

BY STEVEN MAYER, Californian staff writer

smayer@bakersfield.com | Friday, Jun 17 2011 05:13 PM
Last Updated Friday, Jun 17 2011 05:15 PM

Maricopa is looking for a few new tow companies.

Barely a week after the Kern County grand jury called for the dissolution of Maricopa's city government -- citing among other issues the city's questionable relationship with its contracted towing company -- the city is planning to give other tow outfits a shot at the job.

"There will be an RFP sent out to all surrounding tow companies, giving them the opportunity to do business in the city," Maricopa's Interim City Administrator Lauri Robison said in an email Friday.

An RFP, or request for proposal, is an invitation of sorts for service providers to submit detailed proposals to the city.

"The (city) council will select up to three tow companies and a rotation schedule will be followed," Robison said.

In the interim, longtime contractor Randy's Towing is expected to continue to handle police-related tows in the western Kern County community, Robison said.

The city of fewer than 1,200 residents has been reeling since the grand jury issued a series of reports in recent weeks slamming the Maricopa Police Department, the city's finances and its relationship with Bakersfield-based Randy's Towing.

The grand jury report said the contract with the towing company was not signed or approved by the Maricopa City Council, as required by law.

The jury also noted the cost of getting back an impounded vehicle in Maricopa is the highest in Kern County.

In addition, the city gets one-quarter of the proceeds of all impound fees and sales of unclaimed vehicles.

Randy Winkle, the owner of Randy's Towing, said he has always wanted Maricopa to bring other tow companies into the rotation. But even if that happens, he's not sure he wants to stay.

"I won't leave them high and dry," he said. "But I told them I'm really tired of being the focus of small-town politics."

Winkle said the controversy and news coverage has placed his company in a bad light, even though he has no control over who Maricopa police pull over or whose vehicles are impounded.

At this point, Winkle couldn't say for sure whether he would throw his hat in the ring for the new rotation."I don't know. I'll have to look at all this," he said.

Robison said the requests could be sent out to towing companies as early as next week.
The city council has been considering the decision for some time, she said.

"As to the question regarding this decision being in response to the (Kern County grand jury) report, no, the council was already working on this."

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x468147267/Maricopa-to-put-tow-service-out-to-bid