Dear Editor
I am responding to comments by Randy Patrick, city manager, regarding the City of North Battleford’s RFP for towing.
Regarding funds back to the city for protective services time:
All SGI accident towing is price regulated. All SGI vehicle impoundment towing is price regulated. This makes up 95 per cent of all RCMP and Community Safety Officer ordered towing.
There is no possible way to “move the cost to the people who are causing the issue and get some of that rebated back to the city,” as Patrick states.
That means the funds going to the city must come out of the towing company’s bottom line or regular breakdown towing.
So, in fact, the cost to city taxpayers for a breakdown, tire change, tow or lockout will have to go up. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?
Regarding Patrick’s quote, “We have no interest in being in the towing business, for the record:”
The RFP sent out June 27, 2019, stated, and I quote, “The city is planning to open a municipal impound lot Jan. 1, 2020, for all RCMP, SGI and municipal impounds occurring within city limits.”
Towing and storage are directly connected. The city was planning to skim a large portion of profitable revenue and get into direct competition with private enterprise.
Unfortunately for the city, their plan went astray when the SGI Vehicle Impoundment Program refused to approve their application as a garage keeper.
The next plan was a so-called revenue sharing scheme with a percentage of gross revenue paid to the City of North Battleford in quarterly installments, as stated in the second RFP dated July 2, 2019.
So, yes, the city intends to in one way or another be in, or control, the towing industry in North Battleford.
Dave Washburn
Vista Towing (1982)
North Battleford
