The Chapel Hill Town Council resolved to hold a public hearing Monday night on private towing practices, which could cause changes in the current downtown towing regulations.
After the town’s parking services division noted an increase in towing complaints last year, Police Chief Christopher Blue presented a recommendation to council members to receive further input from residents, towing companies and property owners on possible amendments to the current towing ordinance.
Blue said there have been 20 written complaints over downtown towing practices since April. All but two of the complaints involve properties implementing a “walk off tow policy,” which tows any parked vehicle whose owner leaves the premises. Many of the lots are enforced via video surveillance, he said.
Blue said frustrations centered on towing companies’ cash-only policy, inadequate police notification and the nature of the “walk off tow policy,” which will tow vehicles even if the owner had initially patronized the business before moving on.
Suggested changes to the ordinance include more explicit signage of the policy and its possible video surveillance, mandating towing companies to accept alternative forms of payment, better lighting and security for storage lots, possible revisions of towing and storage fees and extending the ordinance beyond its current downtown zoning, Blue said.
Council member Laurin Easthom was concerned about the speed of the towing practices, along with the surveillance practices, saying it might approach predatory towing.
She said she supported towing payments via debit or ATM and the full disclosure of any surveillance practice but also that it is a two-sided issue.
“You have to think about the business owners too,” she said. “It’s going to be a balancing act.”
Police spokesman Kevin Gunter said most of the complaints indicated were not in violation of regulations since property owners are within their rights to tow unattended vehicles off their premises.
With limited space, private owners need to make parking available to suit their customers, he said.
Gunter said any agenda should include efforts to make the public more aware of the parking regulations. As it stands, the public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 14.
Notable:
Town Manager Roger Stancil presented the town’s Economic and Financial Update, laying out plans for future budgeting policies.
Stancil said Chapel Hill unemployment lies at 6.9 percent, well below the state average of 10.4 percent.
He said future budgeting challenges include a possible shrinkage of the tax base, additional cost from library operations, university system budget cuts and maintaining a balance between service cost and tax increases.
Quotable:
“The greater majority of people understand that there are requirements and restrictions on private lots,” said Gunter on the towing ordinance’s signage policies.
“I feel uncomfortable knowing I’m under surveillance when I’m pulling into a parking lot,” Easthom said about the towing company’s enforcement practices. “Businesses don’t want people parking on their premises and then going off to UNC for the day,” said Easthom.
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