A. 
The governing body of the Township of Cranford shall appoint persons or companies meeting the criteria set forth in this chapter and engaged in the business or offering the services of a motor vehicle towing service, whereby damaged or disabled motor vehicles are towed or otherwise removed from the place where they are damaged or disabled by use of a tow truck, as defined in this chapter. Such persons or companies shall be known as "towing operators."
B. 
Towing operators shall be identified by means of a license which shall be issued as hereinafter provided.
C. 
License required. No towing operator shall operate on the roadways within the Township of Cranford without obtaining a license in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Specifically exempted from this license requirement is the towing, transporting, conveying or removing of vehicles from private property within the Township, or by towing operators which are directly and privately engaged or designated by the owner of the vehicle to be towed, transported, conveyed upon or removed from the streets of the Township of Cranford.
A. 
Towing operators shall furnish adequate and proper towing, storage and emergency repair services to motor vehicles damaged or disabled within the limits of the Township when requested to do so by an authorized Township official. The towing operator must be available on a twenty-four-hour-a-day basis, seven days a week.
B. 
A response time of 15 minutes will be expected from each towing operator called by the Cranford Police Department. If the towing operator fails to respond within that time period, the next towing operator will be called. Failure to respond within the stated time frame will be considered a violation of the license. Repeated violations will result in the suspension of the license.
C. 
No towing operator shall subcontract any work to be performed pursuant to this chapter without having first obtained prior written approval from the Township Committee. Any towing operator to which approval to subcontract work has been given shall be responsible for the services performed by the subcontractor and shall remain liable for any violation of this chapter by the subcontractor.
D. 
The towing operator will be responsible for removing any debris resulting from an accident from the roadway.
E. 
The towing operator shall be responsible for the preservation of all evidence as requested by the police.
F. 
The towing operator shall comply with all state and federal laws and regulations concerning wages, hours and terms of employment.
G. 
The towing operator will be required to file an employment nondiscrimination statement as a condition of appointment.
H. 
The towing operator will be required to establish a procedure for written notification to vehicle owners regarding storage fees and removal of vehicles.
A. 
Applications for inclusion on the towing operator list shall be made to the Township Committee upon a form provided by the Chief of Police and shall contain all of the following information:
(1) 
The name, residence and business address and telephone number of the owner of the towing company. If the owner is a corporation, limited liability company or partnership, the application shall contain the name, residence and business address and telephone number of every person owning more than 10% of the entity.
(2) 
Such information as may be required by the Township Committee concerning the personnel, vehicles, equipment and storage facilities of such applicant, as hereinafter provided, showing that the applicant can meet the minimum standards of performance.
(3) 
A certificate or certificates of insurance evidencing adequate insurance coverage as hereinafter provided.
(4) 
A fee of $200, to cover the administrative expenses incurred by the Township in processing the application.
(5) 
The names and addresses of two business references who have known the applicant for at least two years.
B. 
Upon receipt of a complete application, the Chief of Police or his designee shall review it and make a recommendation regarding approval to the Township Committee. The review by the Chief of Police shall include:
(1) 
A background check to determine if any of the applicant's personnel have been convicted of a criminal offense or have had their driver's license suspended or revoked within the past year. Conviction of a criminal offense or suspension of a driver's license within the past year shall be a cause for disqualification from inclusion on the towing operator list.
(2) 
An inspection of the personnel, vehicles, equipment and storage facilities proposed to be utilized by the applicant to verify the accuracy of the information contained in the application and to determine compliance with applicable laws and regulations and the standards of performance required by this chapter.
(3) 
Any and all other relevant investigation as determined by the Chief of Police or his designated representative.
C. 
The Chief of Police shall conduct his review and render a report to the Township Committee, recommending either approval or denial of each application, within 30 days of receipt of the application. The Township Committee shall take action with regard to the application within 30 days of receipt of the report of the Chief of Police.
D. 
The applicant, or its representative, shall be given notice of the date on which the Township Committee will consider the application and shall be permitted to appear and be heard at that time.
E. 
Written notice of the approval or denial of the application shall be provided to the applicant within seven days of the decision of the Township Committee.
F. 
If the Township Committee fails to take action within 60 days of receipt of a complete application, the application shall be deemed to have been denied.
G. 
An applicant may be included on the towing operator list by the Township Committee, by resolution adopted at a regular public meeting, when, upon consideration of the application and from such other information as may otherwise be obtained, the Township Committee finds that all of the following circumstances exist:
(1) 
The applicant has not knowingly or with intent to deceive made any false, misleading or fraudulent statements of material fact in the application or in any other document required pursuant to this chapter.
(2) 
The applicant has met the standards in this chapter and has furnished the required hold harmless agreement and certificate(s) of insurance.
(3) 
The application has been reviewed and approved by the Chief of Police.
(4) 
Neither the applicant nor the applicant's personnel have been convicted of a criminal offense or had their driver's license suspended within the past year.
A. 
Upon approval of the application as herein provided, the Chief of Police shall issue the applicant a towing operator's license for each tow truck to be utilized in providing services pursuant to this chapter upon payment of the processing fee of $200 for each application and fee of $250 for each license.
B. 
Said license, which shall be in a form approved by the Township Committee, shall be displayed on each tow truck at all times.
C. 
The license shall be valid for a period of one year beginning January 1, 2001, shall be nontransferable and shall be subject to revocation by the Township Committee for any of the following reasons:
(1) 
If it is subsequently determined that the applicant knowingly and with intent to deceive made false, misleading or fraudulent statements of material fact in the application or in any other document required pursuant to this chapter.
(2) 
Violation of any federal or state law or municipal ordinance or regulation relating to the operation of a motor vehicle or the provision of towing services.
(3) 
Violation of any rule or regulation promulgated by the New Jersey Department of Insurance.
(4) 
Unsatisfactory service provided pursuant to this chapter.
(5) 
Failure to adhere to all provisions of this chapter.
(6) 
Any action taken by any representative of a towing operator adverse to the best interests of the Township of Cranford.
D. 
If not revoked by the Township Committee, the license will be renewed upon the payment of a renewal fee for each approved towing operator on or before January 1 of each succeeding year.
E. 
No license shall be required for the on-site repair and/or towing or storage of any vehicle when the request is received by the towing operator from the owner of the vehicle.