Town of Coventry, RI In General

[Amended 12-12-1988 by Ord. No. 12-88-0157; 8-23-2004 by Ord. No. 3-04-0240; 12-10-2007 by Ord. No. 11-07-263]

The Coventry Police Department will establish a duty roster consisting of no more than four vehicle towing services. The roster shall consist of the current four authorized Coventry towing services, all of which are located within the Town of Coventry. Only the scheduled duty towing services shall be called for all vehicle tows involving accidents, junked, abandoned or disabled vehicles. In the event that the assigned towing service cannot respond, then the next towing service in the upcoming schedule will be called and on down the list until one of the four is contacted. It is forbidden that any nonapproved towing service be called by the Police Department except in a situation when none of the four towing services are able to respond. In such a situation, the police log will reflect the time and identification of the towing service called, the person spoken with, and the nonapproved towing service utilized.

It will be the responsibility of the Coventry towing services to keep a current list on file with the Coventry Police Department that the four approved towing services meet Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approval; that the towing equipment be maintained in good repair; and that the operator be a person trained in towing services.

Nothing in this chapter precludes an owner of a vehicle from requesting that a towing service other than one of the four be called, but it will be necessary for the person to sign a request for the police officer on the scene to call a specific towing service, and the request form will reflect the name, city, and telephone number of the requested towing service.

In the event that the owner of a vehicle requests that a towing service association be called, the proper request form shall be completed and the police dispatcher will call the regional or main headquarters of the association requested. Under no circumstances shall a local member of the service association be called directly by the police dispatcher. A response time for a towing vehicle must not exceed 20 minutes, and the dispatcher shall determine response time when requesting an association's service; and if it is indicated that the response time will be greater than 20 minutes, the police dispatcher will call the duty towing service and the owner of the vehicle will be so advised.

The four authorized towing services shall complete and forward to the Coventry Police Department a tow list application on a form approved by the Town of Coventry Police Department. Upon approval by the Police Department and, thereafter, the Town Council, a license shall be issued to remain on the approved Town list. The application and background information shall be filled out in its entirety before a towing company can remain on the Coventry Police tow list. All present tow companies on the Coventry Police tow list must complete and forward an application as set forth above and meet all requirements stated herein within 30 days of the adoption of this section. Failure to submit an application and meet said requirements within the thirty-day period will result in immediate removal from the tow list. Incorrect or false information on said application shall result in the towing company being removed from the list. This application and license shall be renewed each calendar year in January by the tow companies and shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the Town Council to issue a license. Further, the Town Council may, from time to time by resolution, set a licensing fee for tow companies to be paid prior to issuance of a license pursuant to this section.

The towing service shall maintain a place of business in the Town of Coventry with minimum operating hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Limitation of service. A towing company shall not be required to collect or deliver wrecked, disabled or repossessed vehicles to places where, in the judgment of the owner/employee, it is impracticable or unsafe to do so. Toll fees for roads and bridges shall be the responsibility of the vehicle's owner.

The maximum charges for towing services within the Town of Coventry are per Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Regulations, Order 16819, dated and effective December 20, 2001.

The Town Council hereby delegates to the Chief of Police and the Director of Public Works the authority to impose an emergency storm condition restricting the parking of vehicles on any of the streets or public ways in the Town at such time as there is an accumulation or forecast of accumulation of three inches or more of snow. The declaration of an emergency storm condition restricting the parking of vehicles on the streets or public ways of the Town may also be authorized by the delegated authority whenever storm or other natural conditions necessitate the unimpeded operation of emergency vehicles and storm-handling equipment.

Whenever an emergency storm condition is announced, it shall become effective three hours after announcement or at such later period as the Chief of Police and the Director of Public Works may determine. Such conditions may be removed immediately upon announcement or at such time as such officials determine.

The imposition of emergency storm conditions under this section shall be announced by local radio and television stations or announced in a newspaper of daily circulation in the Town.

Any vehicle disabled, abandoned or parked on any street during the period of an emergency storm condition imposed pursuant to this section shall be towed away at the owner's expense.

The registered owner of any vehicle disabled, abandoned or parked on any street or public way during a declared emergency storm condition shall be deemed guilty of a violation of this section and fined as follows: $25 for each offense.

[Amended 7-27-2009 by Ord. No. 06-09-276]