Several residents raised concerns about the city’s apparent single‑vendor arrangement for towing services during public comment at the Nov. 10 Baberton City Council meeting. Commenters said most tows handled from the public right‑of‑way are for private vehicles and questioned whether the city’s selection process gives one vendor an exclusive advantage.

An unnamed gallery speaker and a former tow‑yard employee described how, historically, a tow company that held the city contract would perform town tow services for city vehicles as part of the contract rather than charging the city separately. The same speakers alleged the vendor had been able to purchase impounded vehicles at low prices at auction, sometimes in the $65–$100 range, and that residents were unable to compete at those prices. One speaker said that history had created "tarnished" impressions about the vendor’s practices. (Transcript: SEG 022–SEG 086.)

City staff and other speakers told the council that towing is treated as a professional service under the city’s procurement rules and therefore is not always competitively bid. Staff and a former tow‑yard employee recommended that anyone seeking specifics about city payments for towing make a public‑records request; one speaker offered to assist with contact information for department records. (Transcript: SEG 058–SEG 166, SEG 186–SEG 211.)

Council did not take formal action on towing at the Nov. 10 meeting. Several speakers urged the police department and procurement staff to compile and share records on how much the city pays for tows of city vehicles and whether the tow contract is routinely renewed by the Board of Control. The transcript records inconsistent spellings of the tow vendor (appearing as both "Hokers" and "Hookers" in the record); the transcript also indicates the vendor name is renewed annually by the Board of Control. The council advised residents they may follow up after the meeting and suggested filing a public‑records request to get confirmed figures.

Provenance: public‑comment discussion on towing appears at the start of the transcript.