title
Towing and Immobilization (B)
Ordinance No. 120206
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, amending Chapter 14.5, Article III of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Gainesville relating to towing and immobilization of vehicles on private property and amending Appendix A - Schedule of Fees, Rates and Charges relating to towing and immobilization; providing directions to the codifier; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed Ordinance.
explanation
On July 7, 2011 the City Commission directed the City Attorney's Office to prepare draft amendments to the towing ordinance to prevent successor businesses from being able to assume the business operations of a suspended towing company. The City Attorney's Office drafted Ordinance No. 110209, which was adopted on first reading, but was then stricken from the agenda at second reading and the entire "Towing or Immobilizing Vehicles from Private Property" Article, including the transfer of ownership to circumvent penalties issues was referred to the Public Safety Committee for a comprehensive re-write of the City of Gainesville Towing Ordinance, Chapter 14.5.
The Public Safety Committee held public meetings on the matter on September 27, 2012 and November 29, 2012. Staff also held meetings with various tow and immobilization companies, as well as representatives from the University of Florida Student Government.
On May 1, 2014, the Ordinance came before the Commission for First Reading. At that time the Commission received comments from the public regarding the proposed Ordinance. The Commission adopted the ordinance as presented, but continued Second Reading to a date certain of June 19, 2014 to allow staff time to consider the comments that had been received and to make appropriate changes, if any, to the Ordinance. Staff evaluated the comments and incorporated some of the suggestions in the Ordinance presented for Second Reading. The changes made to the Ordinance since First Reading are indicated with additions being double underlined and deletions being double stricken.