Towing.pdf

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1) The City of Royal Oak will contract with a towing company, as an independent contractor, for towing, storage and impoundment of vehicles and related services as required by State law, City ordinance and at the direction of the City's Police, Fire and other Departments.

2) Please carefully review this document. This document is a Request for Proposal. It differs from a Request for Bid/Quotation in that the City of Royal Oak is seeking a solution as described herein, not a bid/quotation meeting firm specifications for the lowest price.

Proposers are to provide their proposal based on their professional knowledge and developed around the general requirements defined within this proposal. As such, the lowest priced proposed will not guarantee an award recommendation. Competitive sealed proposals will be evaluated based upon criteria formulated around the most important features of the service requested, of which experience, references, or capability, may be overriding factors, and price may not be determinative in the issuance of a contract or award.

3) The City reserves the right to review and investigate all aspects of the contractor’s operations including but not limited to site inspections, equipment inspections, background checks on employees/owners and reference checks.

4) The City retains the right to award this agreement to one or more companies.

2. DEFINITIONS

The following terms as used in this RFP and any resulting contract shall have the meaning set forth below:

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) The maximum operating weight/mass of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer including the vehicle's chassis, body, engine, engine fluids, fuel, accessories, driver, passengers and cargo but excluding that of any trailers. For the purposes of this contract, the GVWR information as stated on the door jamb of the vehicle shall be used, unless such information has been removed or is illegible, in which case the manufacturer’s published GVWR for the make and model of vehicle shall be identified and used.

Tow Truck A truck with a hoist, towing apparatus, or self-loading flatbed, or any combination of these items, permanently affixed to the truck, used to transport not more than 2 vehicles, except for a motor vehicle equipped with a fifth wheel or a motor vehicle that tows the second vehicle on a trailer.

Public Safety Involved Tow Any and all tows of a vehicles not owned by the

City of Royal Oak where a member of the Royal Oak Police, Fire or Public Works Departments contacts the contractor. Public Safety Involved Tows include towing by tow truck to the Contractor’s yard, Royal Oak Police Department lot or any other location within five (5) miles of the tow scene. Public Safety Involved Tows also include the use of dollies, disconnecting of linkages, labor, thirty (30) minutes of clean-up of the tow scene, winching onto flatbed (from an improved surface area such as a roadway, shoulder, parking lot, driveway, etc.), thirty (30) minutes of stand-by time at a tow scene and all other undertakings and actions relating to or necessary to complete the tow as described above and in the scope of services and contract specifications section below.

City Vehicle Towing Any and all tows of City owned vehicles within the

City limits of Royal Oak or within a 25 mile radius of the boundaries of the City of Royal Oak. City Vehicle Tows also include the use of dollies, disconnecting of linkages, winching, labor, thirty

(30) minutes of clean-up of the tow scene, thirty

(30) minutes of stand-by time at a tow scene and all other undertakings and actions relating to or necessary to complete the tow as described above and in the scope of services and contract specifications section below.

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES & CONTRACTOR SPECIFICATIONS

The awarded Contractor shall perform towing, storage & impoundment services meeting the specifications set forth below. Exceptions to the specifications below may be allowed in the sole discretion of the City of Royal Oak, but only if the exceptions have been proposed and fully explained where indicated on the Proposal Itemized Service & Cost Form and submitted by the bidder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there shall be no exceptions proposed or allowed for those items listed under the “Mandatory” category below.

A. Mandatory

1) Towing services shall be broken down into two (2) categories “Public Safety Involved Tows” and “City Vehicle Towing.” Please refer to section 31 above for the definition of each category of tow. All pricing must be based on said categories. The only additional fees and charges that are allowed shall be for the specifically identified augmented services listed on the Proposal Form. All other fees and charges not listed on the Proposal Itemized Service & Cost Form that are incurred by the contractor will be considered incidental and included in the Public Safety Involved Towing cost set forth on said Form. All other fees charged to the public and businesses for any other towing, impound, or storage services shall be disclosed and listed on the proposal form (i.e., gate fees, administrative fees, etc.).

2) Contractor must have 20,000 square feet of available storage space for storing Public Safety Involved Tow vehicles. Said storage property must be located within 5 miles of the Royal Oak Police Department, must remain within said 5 miles for the entire length of the contract and any extensions, must be zoned to permit vehicle storage, and must be occupied by and under the control of the contractor by lease or ownership.

3) Contractor must have at least two (2) tow trucks that can be dedicated to Royal Oak requirements.

4) Contractor must have at least three (3) years of towing and storage experience and preference will be given to police/municipal contract experience.

5) Contractor must have adequate staffing, at all times, to provide the required service outlined herein.

6) Contractor shall submit the company ownership information including legal name of principals, addresses, etc. The City will conduct criminal background checks and this information will be used in the evaluation process.

7) Contractor must have in place written policies & procedures that cover items such as ethics, non- discrimination and customer service, which contractor must require its drivers to follow at all times.

8) All of the contractor’s drivers must wear a company provided uniform.

9) Contractor shall not represent, suggest, infer or lead anyone to believe or think that the City of Royal Oak or this contract includes, authorizes, suggests, prefers, permits, endorses, recommends or requires that the owners of vehicles (or their insurance company) towed by contractor pursuant to this contract utilize any other services of the contractor.

10) Employees of the contractor and/or subcontractor are required to follow Uniform Traffic Control Measures.

11) Second time tows or additional tows within contractor’s storage yard will be at no charge or cost. Rates for City Vehicle Towing will apply when contractor is contacted by a City staff member regarding a tow of a private party vehicle.

12) Rates for City Vehicle Towing will apply when a tow of a city owned or operated vehicle is requested by a City staff member.

B. Vehicle storage & operation

1) All vehicles stored and/or impounded by the contractor must be kept in a well-lighted storage lot, fenced with a minimum of three strand barbed wire, seven feet and six inches high, with all gates securely locked and a responsible person in charge of the premises 24 hours per day.

2) The vehicle storage yard shall have normal business hours and will be opened Monday through Saturday and have the following minimum hours of operation.

• Monday - Friday (not less than eight consecutive hours)

• Saturday (not less than four consecutive hours)

• Sundays and holidays are optional

3) All towing, storage and impoundment services provided by the designated towing company, including, but not limited to, the operation of the storage lot, shall be conducted so as not to create a nuisance to passing motorists and/or surrounding premises, or be in violation of Federal, State or Local laws governing the site of business. An office building will be at the storage yard for processing removal of the vehicles. The office will be easily accessible to the customers and be maintained in a clean, organized and presentable manner.

4) Vehicles stored in the vehicle storage yard shall be parked as to allow one (1) foot of space between them and adjacent vehicles. The yard will be kept organized and maintained in a professional manner.

5) Royal Oak impounded vehicles will be kept in a separate designated area and marked on the driver’s side mirror with a weatherproof tag and the Royal Oak Police Department (ROPD) impound number.

6) All aisle ways, of which vehicles are parked, shall be constructed of gravel cement or asphalt to allow for drainage during inclement weather.

7) Personal property from any vehicle noted as impounded by the Police Department will only be released by the towing company personnel when approved by Police personnel (i.e. medicine, garage door openers, keys, golf clubs, etc.) The personal property shall only be released to the registered owner or to a person with written consent of the registered owner. The contractor will allow vehicle owner to retrieve the vehicle registration from the vehicle if required. If the Police Department has placed a HOLD on the vehicle the contractor shall not allow access to the vehicle without the approval of the officer in charge of the case or Police Supervisor. Releasing of a vehicle is subject to a $50.00 fee to be paid at the City of Royal Oak Police Department. A receipt must be shown at the storage lot as proof that this fee has been paid before a vehicle may be released to the registered owner or representative.

8) All vehicles that are impounded by the ROPD shall be processed under the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code section 257.252a. The contractor shall conduct routine public auctions which will be handled professionally and fairly with proper legal notifications.

9) Unpaid fees for towing and storage of Public Safety Involved Tows that exceed what the contractor receives through auction or other lawful disposal will not be reimbursed by the City.

10) The contractor shall provide, if required by the Police Department, five (5) long term storage spaces. Vehicles designated by the Royal Oak Police Supervisor shall not accumulate charges in excess of $1,000. This includes any costs associated with the towing, storage and maintenance of this vehicle.

11) Storage lot shall not be relocated without written approval from an authorized representative of the City of Royal Oak.

12) Vehicle storage fees shall begin to accumulate on the first full business day following impoundment.

C. Tow truck personnel requirements & availability

1) Contractor shall operate, maintain and have available within the City of Royal Oak: (A) at least two (2) tow trucks with a response time of twenty (20) minutes or less from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time, Monday through Thursday; (B) at least two (2) tow trucks with a response time of twenty (20) minutes or less from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Fridays; and

(C) at least two (2) tow trucks with a response time of twenty (20) minutes or less from 11 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Saturdays; (D) at least two (2) tow trucks with a response time of twenty (20) minutes or less from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays; and (E) at least one

(1) tow truck at all other times.

2) If the contractor or authorized sub-contractor does not arrive at a requested location for a Public Safety Involved Tow within 20 minutes, the Police Department retains the right to order another towing company to tow a vehicle to the contractor’s yard and contractor will accept and store the vehicle in accordance with this contract. The tow bill will be paid by the contractor, who will then charge the vehicle owner the rates designated in this contract for a Public Safety Involved Tow.

3) After award of the contract, the successful contractor shall provide the City of Royal Oak with a list of the names, addresses, driver’s license numbers and D.O.B of all its current drivers and provided an updated list at least every six months and immediately after a new driver is hired by the contractor. The Police Department may conduct a criminal background check for all employees and contractor agrees that it will not allow drivers with criminal backgrounds to perform Public Safety Involved Tows if requested by the Police Department. Contractor’s new hires shall not perform Public Safety Involved Tows until after the Contractor has submitted the updated list with the new hire’s information to the City and the Police Department has approved the driver to provide services under this contract.

4) Any and all employees/drivers shall be licensed as provided by applicable Federal, State and local laws, codes and ordinances. Also, all employees shall:

• Be able to speak, read and write the English language.

• Possess a valid Michigan operator’s license.

• Be sufficiently trained in the proper handling of vehicles so as to prevent damage to them resulting from their being towed.

• Wear company identified clothing (uniform).

5) The contractor shall maintain adequate staffing in order to insure prompt response to any and all Police requirements of towing, storage & impoundment of vehicles; and moreover, subject to the approval of the Police Department, shall provide back-up staffing from any other source should normal staff levels decline.

6) The contractor shall have the capability to tow and store semi-trucks and trailers.

7) Contractor and all of its personnel shall provide prompt, cooperative, patient, polite, respectful and courteous customer service, at all times and under all circumstances, to the public and City personnel. Cooperation and courtesy must be shown to those individuals requiring assistance when recovering their vehicles from impound.

Complaints about poor customer service to the Police Department will be documented and, if continued, shall constitute grounds for termination of the contract.

8) The contractor will operate, store and maintain equipment in accordance with all state and local laws, codes and ordinances.

9) A designated Royal Oak Police Department representative shall have access to the storage yard at all times.

D. Record keeping & documentation

1) Computerized records and invoices shall be kept by the designated towing contractor for all Public Safety Involved Towed vehicles including VIN #, GVWR, year, color(s) make and model of vehicle, owners name, detailing all services rendered including description of vehicles, locations from which they were towed and/or impounded, record of the mileage, of the vehicle towed and any other information.

2) A monthly audit will be conducted by the contractor and a report generated of all Public Safety Involved Tow vehicles in which the vehicle was also impounded. The audit will include the reason the vehicle was impounded. A copy of the audit report will be submitted to the Police Department each month.

3) A copy of all police related tow invoices shall be forwarded to the Police Department monthly.

4) The records shall be maintained and kept throughout the term of this contract plus three

(3) years.

5) The contractor must agree to a periodic inspection/audit of all Public Safety Involved Towing invoices.

6) Tow Bills/Invoices for all City Vehicle Towing will be provided within thirty (30) days of tow or they will be void even if there is no fee. Tow Bills for City Vehicle Towing will include, date, time, vehicle location, vehicle year, make, model, color, name of person requesting tow and location vehicle was delivered. Tow Bills/Invoices will be provided to Royal Oak Department of Public Services – Motor Pool.

E. Abandoned and Impounded Vehicle Report

1) Operators shall accompany and assist the impounding officer in a physical inspection of each vehicle impounded at the time of impoundment. The standard “ABANDONED AND IMPOUNDED VEHICLE REPORT” shall be used for this purpose.

2) When a vehicle is released by the contractor, they shall complete an “ABANDONED / IMPOUNDED VEHICLE DISPOSITION REPORT” form listing each service performed and their appropriate charges. TA copy shall be forwarded to the police department.

The contractor will also provide or complete all other forms, reports and/or documents that may be otherwise required. The contractor should have the capability to transmit and receive data electronically (e-mail) with the Police Department.

3) The contractor shall keep accurate records on a daily basis of each vehicle stored, its license (registration plate) number, description, vehicle identification number (VIN), the tow origination point, and any subsequent tow(s), date and time the vehicle was placed in storage, location, date, and time returned to the owner, and any charges levied.

4) The contractor shall maintain, for a period of three (3) years, accurate financial records of each towing and/or storage transaction made at the city’s request. The contractor shall have those records open to inspection by the city upon demand.

5) The city reserves the right to conduct an audit of all bills and records relevant to this contract at least twice a year.

F. Service Call Cancellation

1) Contractor will provide any individual, whose vehicle is being towed and/or impounded information regarding the storage location (contractor name, address, phone number and business hours) and if requested the contractor will provide a list of applicable rates as outlined in the Contract.

2) The towing contract may not be assigned or sub-contracted without the prior written consent of the City. Further, the principal agrees not to sell or assign its interests in the company without prior written consent of the City. Further, the successful towing contractor warrants and represents that it is familiar with the towing and impoundment requirements of the City and is capable of rendering all services as required herein. The selected contractor shall not use this award as a means to solicit any other business from tow customers or their insurance company.

3) The contractor will display their company name and phone number prominently and permanently on all tow vehicles used in accordance with the contract.

4) At a minimum, the contractor will accept cash. Company checks, certified check, money order, credit card or other electronic forms of payment will be at the discretion of the contractor.

5) Each tow vehicle shall have a broom, shovel, a fully charge fire extinguisher and at least five gallons of floor dry or other oil absorbing material to be placed on the road in cases of spillage. The contractor will have containers and transfer pumps for removal of gasoline/diesel fuel if required for spill prevention.

6) The contractor will clean the roadway at the scene of an accident and the fee for this service will be included in the towing rates set forth in the Proposal Itemized Service & Cost Form.

7) Abandoned vehicles will be removed and stored at the direction of the ROPD. As required, abandoned vehicles will be disposed in accordance with State Statute 257.252a. In the event of a public auction, the contractor may be required to move vehicles into a separate designated area for viewing before auction. The auction will take place at the contractor’s yard. Costs associated with moving vehicles within the yard will be considered second time tows and not chargeable. Vehicles designated as "scrap vehicles" by the ROPD will be released to the contractor for disposal. Upon completion of auction, the contractor will provide the City of Royal Oak with a detailed report of vehicles sold within 30 business days.

8) Contractor must be willing to buy out, pay for and accept the existing held vehicles should the current City award the contract to a bidder other than the City’s current contractor.

9) At no time during the term of this contract will rates be altered for increased fuel costs or any other increased costs.