City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: NOVEMBER 6, 2024
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: ADRIANA CASTA?EDA, DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
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Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to amend and reordain Section 3 (Towing and Storage Fees and Regulations) of Chapter 13 (Towing and Storage of Motor Vehicles) of Title 9 (Licensing and Regulation) of the Code of the City of Alexandria, Virginia, 1981, as amended.
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ISSUE: Consideration of an ordinance to amend Section 9-13-3 of the City code to raise the maximum permitted tow fee for a private tow from $135 to $150 and to raise the maximum permitted additional fees for tows that are after hours, on weekends, or on holidays from $25 to $30.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council receive and adopt the proposed ordinance (Attachment 4) to amend the trespass towing fee of $135 to $150 and increase the after-hours charge of $25 to $30; and schedule it for a second reading, public hearing, and final passage on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
BACKGROUND: The City regulates six towing fees, with three of them set by state law. Virginia Code establishes a towing fee range between $135 and $150, allows a $25 to $30 fee charge for evenings, weekends, and holidays ("after-hours fee"), and includes a fixed fuel surcharge. Under Virginia law, Alexandria's tow fee must be between $135 and $150 (Va. Code ? 46.2-1233). The City's current fees fall below these state maximums and include three additional fees that aren't regulated by state law.
For private tows, Virginia Code Section 46.2-1233.1 was updated in 2018 to increase the maximum private tow fee from $135 to $150 for passenger vehicles. However, Section 46.2-1233, which governs tow fees in Planning District 8 (including...
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