The chief of police shall cause to be prepared a form to be used for each wrecker pull in the city. Such form shall provide for the following information:
(1) 
The name of the owner or the name of his authorized representative of any disabled vehicle desiring the towing or removing of such disabled vehicle.
(2) 
The place to which the owner or his authorized representative shall desire such vehicle to be taken.
(3) 
The name of the wrecker operator towing such vehicle and the name of the driver of the wrecker vehicle.
(4) 
The description of the vehicle to be towed.
(5) 
The signature of the owner or his designated representative authorizing the removal of such vehicle and the towing of such vehicle to its destination.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-106)
When a police officer investigating an accident in the city determines that any vehicle which has been involved in an accident should be removed by a wrecker, such officer shall first determine whether or not the owner or his authorized representative has already made arrangements for the removal of such vehicle. If the owner or his authorized representative has made such arrangements, the officer shall note the name of the wrecker operator contacted on the wrecker pull form. If the owner or his authorized representative has not already made such arrangements, the investigating officer shall cause the following steps to be taken in sequence to complete the wrecker pull form:
(1) 
The officer shall request that the owner or his authorized representative designate the place to which he desires the vehicle removed;
(2) 
The officer shall request that the owner or his authorized representative select a wrecker operator to be called to the scene to remove such vehicle;
(3) 
The officer shall them immediately notify police headquarters of the information contained in subsections (1) and (2) of this section, and the officer in charge at police headquarters or his designated representative shall immediately notify the wrecker operator selected and shall give him the information in subsection (2) of this section and direct that he immediately proceed to the scene of the accident;
(4) 
If the owner of the vehicle is disabled or his authorized representative has not selected a wrecker operator and does not care to make such selection and requests that the selection be made by the police department, the officer shall notify headquarters of this decision, and the officer in charge at police headquarters shall direct the wrecker operator on the rotation list for that particular week to go to the scene and remove the vehicle;
(5) 
Upon the wrecker operator’s arrival at the scene, the officer shall complete the wrecker pull form and have the owner of the disabled vehicle or his authorized representative sign the same. One (1) copy of the wrecker pull form shall be left with the owner of the vehicle or his authorized representative, the second copy shall be given to the wrecker operator, and the third shall be kept on file in the office of the chief of police.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-107)
Whenever a police officer of the city determines that a vehicle in good driving condition should be removed, but the vehicle has been abandoned, or the operator arrested and must be taken into custody, or the vehicle is stolen or suspended or being stolen or the operator refuses or is physically unable to drive the vehicle, the officer shall notify police headquarters of the circumstances and request that the wrecker operator on the rotation list for the week be called and directed to the scene to remove such vehicle. On such occasion such police officer shall complete the wrecker pull form, except for the signature of the owner of the vehicle, and shall show on the space provided for the signature of the owner that the vehicle has been pulled at the officer’s request and shall sign the reason for the removal of such vehicle. In such instances the third copy of the wrecker pull form should be handed to or mailed to the owner of such vehicle.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-108)
(a) 
Preparation of rotation list; use of list.
The chief of police shall prepare a wrecker rotation list in order that the wrecker service may be furnished at accident scenes involving motor vehicles whose owners do not have any preference as to the wrecker operator to be called and who request the calling of a wrecker by the police officer at the scene. Such wrecker rotation shall be on a fair and impartial basis and shall operate as follows: On or before the thirty-first day of December, the chief of police shall place on slips of paper in a box the names of the wrecker operators authorized to operate rotation wrecker service and shall draw therefrom the individual slips. The names of operators shall be placed on a list in the order in which they are drawn. Beginning on January first of each year, the wrecker operators will be called on the basis of the position on such wrecker rotation list; that is, beginning with the first week in January, the first operator on the list shall be called, and so forth until such time as each wrecker operator on the rotation list shall have been called, and then the chief of police shall revert to the first name on the list for the following week and so forth on down the line until the last week of the year.
(b) 
Requirements for placement on list.
In order to qualify for placement on the wrecker rotation list a wrecker operator must submit an application to the chief of police showing that all of his wrecker vehicles have been issued permits as provided for in this article and that he has satisfied the following:
(1) 
That he has in operation not fewer than one (1) one-half-ton or larger wrecker.
(2) 
That he is willing to and will operate three hundred sixty-five (365) days each year on a twenty-four-hour basis for the purpose of making wrecker pulls.
(3) 
The next wrecker on peg will be called if the wrecker on call does not have enough equipment to handle work.
(4) 
Unless the applicant shall have in force a policy of public liability and property damage insurance, which policy shall include the city as an insured, covering the public from any loss or damage that may arise to any person or property by reason of the operation of a wrecker of such company and providing that the amount of recovery on each wrecker shall be in limits of not less than those required by chapter 601, Texas Transportation Code.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-109)
Any wrecker service placed on the rotation list shall charge only such rates as are reasonable and necessary under the circumstances connected with the call received from the city, but in no event shall such charges be in excess of the amount established by city council (these apply to motorcycles, pickups and automobiles only).
(1987 Code, sec. 26-110; Ordinance adopting Code)
No employee of the city shall recommend to any person, directly or indirectly, either by word, gesture, sign or otherwise, the name of any particular person engaged in the wrecker business, nor shall any city employee influence or attempt to influence in any manner a decision of a person in choosing or selecting a wrecker operator.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-111(c))
Wrecker services will provide storage facilities, which shall be enclosed by a six-foot fence. There shall be no junked or wrecked cars parked or left on any public or private street or roadway by any wrecker company for the purposes of storage, but may store some on private property for temporary repairs, for a reasonable length of time.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-111(d))
(a) 
No person shall drive, operate, or cause to be operated, nor shall any person employ, permit or allow another to drive, operate, or cause to be operated, any wrecker over any street in the city for the purpose of removing, moving, or towing a disabled vehicle for compensation, nor shall any person accept compensation for removing, moving, or towing any vehicle without first having obtained from the city, under the provisions of this division, a permit authorizing such operation and act of such wrecker vehicle.
(b) 
This section shall not be construed to prohibit the transportation by a nonresident wrecker company of a wrecked or disabled vehicle from some point in the city other than the original accident scene to some point outside the city, nor shall it be construed to prohibit the transportation within the city by a nonresident wrecker company of a wrecked or disabled vehicle from a point outside the city limits to a point inside or outside the city limits.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-126)
Any person desiring a permit to operate a wrecker in the city shall file with the city a written application for such permit. Such application shall be filled out and filed in triplicate on forms obtained from the chief of police, shall be verified by the oath of the applicant and shall give, among other details, the following information:
(1) 
The name, age and residence of the applicant, if a natural person. If the applicant is a partnership, the name, age and residence of all partners, general and limited. If the applicant is a corporation, its name, date and place of incorporation, the address of its principal place of incorporation, and the address of its principal place of business.
(2) 
The length of time the applicant has been a resident of the city and the county.
(3) 
The trade name, if any, under which the applicant proposes to operate.
(4) 
The address of the place of business from which the applicant proposes to operate and the telephone number of such place of business.
(5) 
The make, type, model, capacity, and condition of each wrecker proposed to be operated, the design and color scheme of wreckers, and the lettering and marks to be used thereon.
(6) 
The number of wreckers for which permits are desired.
(7) 
Full information pertaining to the extent, quality, and nature of the wrecker service the applicant proposes to render.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-127)
Every application for a wrecker permit shall be accompanied by the payment of a fee established by city council for each wrecker to be operated by the applicant. Such fee may be altered pursuant to section 1.02.004 of this code. All such permits issued shall expire on December thirty-first of the year in which they were issued. Such permit shall not be transferable without permission of the city.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-128; Ordinance adopting Code)
The city shall issue permits to all applicants complying with the provisions of this article after the applications have been completed and filed in his office and the permit fees paid, and after the chief of police or his duly authorized representative has inspected each such wrecker and determined that the wrecker complies with the following requirements:
(1) 
Each wrecker shall not be less than one-half ton in size.
(2) 
Each wrecker shall be equipped with a power or hand-operated winch, winch line, and boom, with a factory-rated capacity of not less than five thousand (5,000) pounds single line capacity.
(3) 
Each wrecker shall carry as standard equipment a tow bar, safety chains, fire extinguisher, wrecking bar, broom, axe, shovel, flags and flares.
(4) 
Each wrecker shall have inscribed on each side thereof in letters not less than three (3) inches in height the name and address of the operator.
(5) 
Each operator shall furnish a certificate of insurance showing valid policies in force on each wrecker vehicle in amounts of at least those required by chapter 601, Texas Transportation Code.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-129)
All wrecker permits shall be visibly displayed on each wrecker vehicle operated in the city.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-130)
(a) 
The chief of police, after an administrative hearing, may revoke the permit issued on any or all wreckers belonging to an operator on any of the following grounds:
(1) 
If a permit was procured by fraudulent conduct or false statement of a material fact concerning the applicant not disclosed at the time the application was made.
(2) 
If the applicant or any of his agents, servants, or employees proceeds to the scene of an accident in violation of the provisions of this article.
(3) 
If the applicant, or any of his agents, servants, or employees, solicits any business in violation of the provisions of this article.
(b) 
Such revocation of the permit shall terminate all authority and permission heretofore granted. Any person whose permit has been revoked shall not be eligible to again apply for a license or permit for a period of up to one (1) year from date of the revocation. Any person whose license or permit has been revoked by the chief of police may file an appeal therefrom to the city council within twenty (20) days from the date of revocation. The city council shall have authority upon the hearing of the appeal to reverse, vacate, or modify the order of revocation.
(1987 Code, sec. 26-131)