ORDINANCE approving and authorizing first amended and restated SafeClear^TM Freeway Towing and Emergency Road Service Agreement Form to be executed by the City of Houston and each of the following contractors: LOUIS MATTHEW TEAL, dba HUMBLE TOWING SERVICE; NORTH HOUSTON MOTORS, INC, dba NORTH HOUSTON MOTORS; T & T MOTORS, INC, dba A ALL NITE WRECKER; UNIFIED AUTO WORKS PAINT & BODY, INC, dba UNIFIED AUTO WORKS; CANNINO WEST, INC, dba BEST TOW; C.M. WRECKER SERVICE, INC, dba FIESTA WRECKER SERVICE; RBEX, INC, dba APPLE TOWING CO.; MILAM STREET AUTO STORAGE, INC, dba FAST TOW; STERLING INTEREST INVESTMENTS, INC, dba ELITE COLLISION CENTER; ALLIED COLLISION CENTER, INC; K. T. L. ENTERPRISES INC, dba SAFE TOW; ASHA AUTOMOTIVE, INC, dba CAR KING TOWING; DWIGHT CANNON, dba D.C. WRECKER; CORPORATE AUTO SERVICES, INC, dba MILLER’S AUTO & BODY REPAIR; HOUSTON AUTO TECH, INC, dba HOUSTON AUTO TECH; and SIBERIA HOUSTON LNA LLC d/b/a EXPRO AUTO COLLISION; authorizing the Mayor to execute a  first amended and restated SafeClear^TM Freeway Towing and Emergency Road Service Agreement with each operator

RECOMMENDATION: (Summary)

Approve an ordinance amending and approving First Amended and Restated SafeClear^TM Freeway Towing and Emergency Road Service Agreement form and authorizing the Mayor and the Chief of Police to sign all of the First Amended and Restated SafeClear^TM Freeway Towing and Emergency Road Services Agreements as listed below. 

SPECIFIC EXPLANATION:

The Chief of Police of the Houston Police Department (HPD) recommends that City Council approve an ordinance authorizing a form Agreement to amend and restate the freeway towing agreements of the SafeClear^TM Freeway Towing and Emergency Road Service Program and authorizing the Mayor and Chief of Police to sign the amended form agreements.

The SafeClear^TM Program was implemented in 2005 to remove wrecked, stalled or other police towed vehicles from the City’s freeways in a safe and expedited manner.  From 2005 until 2011, motorists whose vehicles stalled or were disabled on the shoulders of the freeways were towed to a nearby safe place at no charge, with funding provided by the City.  In 2015, the City of Houston entered into new agreements with selected tow operators to participate in the SafeClear^TM Program.  However, no money was appropriated or allocated by the City to pay for these tows; the stalled vehicle owners were responsible to directly pay the SafeClear^TM operator for the tow at a rate of $60 per tow as regulated by City Ordinance.  

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) proposes to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Houston to use a Federal Highway Administration grant from the Texas Department of Transportation to provide free towing services again for certain vehicles stalled on freeways within the City of Houston.  The City will provide towing services by using current SafeClear^TM operators. SafeClear^TM operators will be paid per tow using the grant funds from the H-GAC Intergovernmental Agreement.  The fees paid to each SafeClear^TM operator will be determined by the number of qualified tows and may vary for each SafeClear^TM operator. The H-GAC grant will also reimburse for the City’s costs of administration of the stalled vehicle towing program.  On February 13, 2018, HPD made a presentation to the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, a copy of which can be viewed at http://www.houstontx.gov/council/committees/publicsafety.html.

Listed below are the SafeClear^TM tow operators whose SafeClear^TM agreements will be amended and restated to incorporate the scope of services stipulated in the H-GAC Interlocal Agreement.

DBE-Requirements: The H-GAC Agreement requires a goal of 23% DBE participation in its third party contracting opportunities. Prior to executing SafeClear^TM Agreements, the above-named tow operators, if not DBE certified, will be required to identify DBE sub-contractors to meet the goal. The DBE participation will be monitored for compliance by the Office of Business Opportunity.

Hire Houston First:

Hire Houston First does not apply because it involves the use of federal funds and is subject to specific procurement rules of the federal government.

$5,011,358

Federal/State/Local – Pass Through Fund

Fund 5030

Rhonda Smith,  CFO/Deputy Director        (713) 308-1708