A. 
Any vehicle parked in violation of any ordinance or state statute or regulation is subject to impounding. The municipality may take possession of any such vehicle and remove it to a place of storage or dispose of it immediately if authorized by any other municipal ordinance.
B. 
The police shall, concurrently with the impounding of the vehicle, file a complaint against the owner, if known or reasonably can be discovered, and charge him with the violation in question.
C. 
When the owner of such vehicle claims the same, he shall be informed of the nature and circumstances of the violation for which such vehicle was impounded and to obtain release thereof shall pay to the municipality an impounding fee of $50.00 plus citation fee, plus all towing charges, which shall not exceed the actual cost to the municipality.
In addition, there shall be paid a storage fee of $10.00 per day or fraction thereof that such vehicle remains impounded after the first 24 hours. If the owner, upon hearing before the municipal judge, is found not guilty of the violation with which he is charged, the impounded vehicle shall be released by order of such judge immediately to the owner without the collection of the fees and other charges.
If the owner of such vehicle is found guilty by the judge, any fine or other penalty imposed shall be in addition to the impounding fee, towing and storage charges herein prescribed.
(S.G.C. 11.60.010; Ord. 73-64 § 3, 1973; Ord. 80-454 § 4, 1980; Ord. 81-486 § 4, 1981; Ord. 08-40 § 4, 2008)
A. 
1. 
Within two weekdays after a vehicle has been impounded, the chief of police shall cause to be sent by registered or certified mail, a notice to the owner thereof, and lienholder, if with the exercise of due diligence the owner’s and lienholder’s names can be ascertained. The notice shall accurately describe the vehicle, give the date the vehicle was impounded, and inform the owner and lienholder that unless he reclaims the vehicle within 30 days after dispatch of the letter, the vehicle will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder. The notice shall also state whether or not a citation has been issued, the fact that there is a daily storage fee, impound fee, and towing fee.
2. 
The notice shall state that an administrative hearing before the municipal assembly is available if requested within 20 days of mailing of the notice. The hearing shall be to determine whether or not the various impound, towing and storage fees should be paid.
3. 
The notice shall state that a person making a timely request for a hearing may receive possession of the vehicle without prepayment of accrued fees upon affirming in writing that such fees will be paid if it is ultimately determined that the fees are proper. An adverse decision may be appealed to the district court.
B. 
1. 
The chief of police shall also cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality, a description of the vehicle, the owner’s name, if known, and the fact that the vehicle, and other vehicles similarly described, will be sold at public auction to the highest responsible bidder at a public sale under the direction of the chief of police at a specified time and place, not less than 20 days after the publication of the notice of sale.
2. 
The chief of police shall keep a permanent, accurate record of all cars impounded, containing date of impounding, description of vehicle, cause for which impounded, date of redemption if redeemed, and amount paid upon redemption, date of letter to owner, if owner is known, notice of sale, record of sale and price paid at sale, and name of purchaser.
C. 
Should the vehicle, at the discretion of the chief of police, be obviously of no value as a vehicle, he shall obtain confirmation of such fact after inspection and in writing from an employee of the municipal planning department, and after giving the owner and lienholder 20 days’ notice of a right of redemption or hearing from the date of mailing, the vehicle may be junked. No such junked vehicle shall thereafter be registered for road use, unless the purchaser complies with subsection D of this section.
D. 
Any vehicle not redeemed prior to auction or prior to being junked shall be sold only as scrap, and the municipality will not give title sufficient for vehicle registration to a purchaser unless such purchaser agrees to provide proof to the municipality within five days of the sale that both of the following conditions have been met:
1. 
Proper current registration of the vehicle with the state of Alaska in the name of the purchaser; and
2. 
Proof of liability insurance covering the vehicle.
Failure of a purchaser to provide such proof shall be a violation, subject to a fine of up to $200.00.
E. 
Junked vehicles and vehicles which do not sell at auction are normally given to the impound lot operator. If a person wishes to purchase such a vehicle from the impound lot operator, the impound lot operator shall request the municipality to give title capable of being registered, to the purchaser, only if the purchaser agrees to comply with subsection D of this section. Otherwise, the vehicle shall be transferred as scrap only.
(S.G.C. 11.60.020; Ord. 82-521 § 4(B), 1982; Ord. 84-590 § 4(C), 1984)