County passes resolution for having vehicles towed
May 3—Changes in state statutes regarding the towing of vehicles from private property prompted the Dickinson County Commission to sign a resolution establishing towing and storage fees at their April 25 meeting.
The stated purpose and intent of the resolution is to, "Protect the public and the rights of persons whose motor vehicles may be towed and stored by private towing services at the request of third parties."
County Administrator Janelle Dockendorf said a local tow operator brought the issue to her attention. After reviewing Abilene's towing ordinance on the books, the county one was written in similar language.
"The state statute is changing some of the processes that he has to follow," she said. "In essence, he needs a case number ... assigned ... so he can pursue the opportunity to recoup some of his costs."
Any property owner requesting a vehicle be towed from private property will need to, within an hour of the completion of the tow, provide to the Dickinson County Communications Center the vehicle's make model and year; license plate number; vehicle identification number; address from where the vehicle was towed; and its destination.
Tow operators will also need to notify the communications center of the same information, but they have two hours from the time they finish the towing.
The resolution also sets the maximum towing and storage fees the companies may charge. The maximum charge to tow a vehicle from private property is set at $125. The maximum per-day storage fee is $75. And the maximum charge for mileage is $5 a mile and the tow must take the most reasonable route to the destination.
On the first day of the year from Jan. 1, 2025, to Jan. 1, 2034, the maximum allowable fees for towing and per-day storage will increase by $1.50.
In other business
Commissioners approved a bid of $11,750 to install an electrical for a new shed. The shed will house the county's road grader. The bid went to Swenson Electric in Solomon, which provided the only bid for the project.
Two bids were received for a culvert replacement project on Camp Road.
"This is an 81 by 59 by 36-foot, 12-gauge corrugated aluminum coating culvert — squash tube," Dockendorf said.
On her recommendation, commissioners awarded the $5,307 bid to J&J Drainage out of Hutchinson. The other bid came in at $8,310.60.
A representative from the H.O.P.E. Center in Abilene came in to speak about the center's goals and purpose and read the 2024 Week of Emphasis proclamation, which commissioners then signed.
The H.O.P.E. Center was established in 1991 by organizations in the community to Help Our People in Emergencies.
The proclamation reads, in part:
"Whereas, the H.O.P.E. Center has for thirty-eight years brought together the resources of our community to serve our neighbors in times of need, seeking to fill the gaps between personal and family resources, assistance offered by government agencies and aid available from other charitable organizations, while at the same time stretching available help by eliminating duplication of services;
"Whereas, all citizens should become more aware of the needs of their neighbors, of efforts within the community to address those needs in a caring and responsible way and of opportunities to lend their support to these efforts;"
