Welcome everyone to the passenger vehicle and record board.

Today is Thursday, September fourth, twenty twenty-five.

Like to remind everyone that the sunshine law is in effect.

Do we have a motion to approve the minutes from last meeting in August?

So move.

Second.

I second.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Inspector.

Uh good afternoon.

Uh first of all, we didn't have anybody that uh needed any type of permit, any temporary, no renewals.

There's nothing.

Um also I've checked with uh Wilson and Wilson and Miss uh with Miss Fletcher on the Fletcher versus uh the Mercury versus Mercury Transportation.

Nobody has a court date yet.

That's all for me.

Very good.

Thank you, sir.

The only thing we have is new business, Mark Shackerford representing Shaqford Towing has a presentation he would like to give.

All right.

Um we spoke uh last meeting and I asked for a little time and I thank you guys for allowing me to go over some of this.

I've I've left copies with with everybody there at your at your seat.

Um about everything I kind of want to just brush up on because it's probably a pretty lengthy deal once we get it to you know legislative committee with with the council or if it's something that the that this board can handle.

I'd probably need Chris's help to determine what the best way to go is here, but just a few points uh to make that that I think are important.

Um we got some old legislation in our private property ordinance that definitely needs to be changed.

Uh some old TCA code that references state law that's been repealed that's no longer on the books.

So that definitely needs a facelift.

Uh for sure.

We've also got the motion act of 2025 that was started early in late 2023 and had a revision in 24 and then another one in 25.

You got the entire bill for that.

Um a lot of that stuff I was involved in directly with the uh Tennessee Tow Truck Association as the vice president.

I worked with our lobbyists and some of our legislative leaders, Senate and House to to get that pushed through and and work with them to from an industry perspective to try to you know, orchestrate what was right in the industry and what they may have dreamed up overnight didn't work for us sometimes.

So uh we were able to work through those challenges.

Took 19 bill revisions to get to where we're at with the motion act of 2025.

Um a lot of back and forth with uh Senate Majority Leader and and his policy writers.

So um there's a lot of new law in in the motion act that protects the consumer and uh give some provisions for them to you know to uh to mitigate their their problem if they have one with a tow company.

Um also identifies um a lot of things that aren't really outlined uh for unauthorized or illegally parked vehicles versus an abandoned motor vehicle.

Abandon being on public property versus illegally parked or non non-authorized on on public property.

I'm sorry, on private property.

motion act that protects the consumer and uh give some provisions for them to you know to uh to mitigate their their problem if they have one with a tow company um also identifies um a lot of things that aren't really outlined uh for unauthorized or illegally parked vehicles versus an abandoned motor vehicle a banan being on public property versus illegally parked or non non-authorized on on public property i'm sorry on private property so uh we also in the motion act we um outline what a what a a proper sign would be and what sign requirements they have for you know payment methods and you know names of the tow company and how to retrieve a vehicle if it's towed off private property here in the city and um so a lot of that stuff has has been updated and modified and there's a lot of stuff in our in our city code that that would be uh pretty dated and it's just something that we need to sit down and and work with either the transportation board or city council to figure out how we can update and amend that so I had kind of I guess sent a message back and forth with with Mr.

Anderson here to try to figure out what what he's got to present today and how we can take that and work together to get to a common goal here I guess.

Okay.

That makes sense yes sir I have printed you guys the the private property toll ordinance as it is today and also um the the first page it has you know shows that that that one law was uh repealed that's what our current city private property ordinance ordinance goes back to and then the modernization of the motion act is also outlined there and you've got the entire TCA code law there printed as well with it thank you Mr.

Shaffer thank you Mr.

Anderson okay pass it down thank you Mr.

Chairman members of the board Chris Anderson mayor's office uh I am here today to pursuant to section 35-160 of Chattanooga City code uh I'm here to present the annual rate increase uh I'll actually presenting uh two annual rate increases for the last two years so Rick we've got just one slide and there it is thank you so the current rates in the ordinance are 225 and 250 respectively for a daytime tow and a night weekend holiday tow and this is for the district record calls uh on the city's rotation uh the inflation rate from 23 to 24 was 3.09 percent uh which would bring it to 232 and 258 it was a flat 3.00 from 24 to 25 uh which would bring it to 239 and 266 uh like I said pursuant to 35-160 um I need to present this to the passenger vehicle for hire board for approval before taking it to city council for an ordinance amendment later this year uh so I'm happy to answer any questions though this is probably the simplest and briefest presentation I've ever given from this podium so uh Mr.

Anderson would that be uh in effect a six percent increase then from what it currently is or just a three well it's not exactly six um and this is why we have a whole finance department that does our budget and not me but uh it would be it's 3.09% from 23 to 24 which creates a new base amount and then it's three percent of that so it's about six percent but yes it's not exactly six okay and then we would raise it again come January of 26 as well three around three percent based on inflation whatever the inflation is from January to next January and let's hope it's only three percent right is anyone on the board have any questions um and chairman I can also read um after the fee table in 35160 it does the language that requires it to come here is uh we provide an there's an asterisk by those two and we provide an annual increase every January based on the annual inflation increase from the prior month's data to be approved each year by the record board thank you sir I do believe uh Andrew correct me if I'm wrong we do need a motion and a second and an approval vote.

Uh yeah there would be need to be a motion to uh recommend this of this increase to the city council right um my my only hesitancy I would be honest is that we're looking at let's just say roughly a uh let's just say eight percent increase from now until January from what we're paying correct I mean let's just say roughly only for what we being the city government is paying right yes this does not affect private towing in any way this is merely when the city of Chattanooga is making a district record call.

Okay, so we the city government would be paying $14 more a daytime tow going forward.

Um I I definitely want to be fair to our record business, but also to the uh fiscal responsibility of the city as well.

Um I would think that right now if we did a uh four and a half percent until January that would not be in keeping with our past city code that is that city council has passed the ordinance for that would be in con in conflict with our code.

Would it okay?

All right, I'll open it up for a vote then.

All in favor of the motion in a second, Mr.

Chairman.

I would like to make a motion that we send this over to the council, city council for approval.

All in I mean, excuse me.

Uh do we have a second?

Second.

All right.

All in favor to send this over to city council for approval, say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

I ask one question.

I guess my my question is more for Mr.

Anderson.

What provision in the in the ordinance as it's written today requires city council to approve this?

So the whole fight that that I worked on with I can answer it.

The legislative committee was that got passed by the transportation for higher board and wouldn't wouldn't intervene with city councils.

I'm trying to figure out where in the code today they're required to pass their vote.

It's dealing with nine.

It's not in city code, but the city charter that was adopted in 1990 requires that any ordinance change be approved by the Chattanooga City Council.

The elected leadership appointed boards cannot change ordinances.

Okay.

And as much as I would like to, neither can I unilaterally.

But then here again, we're we're we're trying to combat a rate increase that we were given prior to two years ago, and then we're still fighting for it.

It doesn't come up for January 1 like it's stated in the ordinance.

It's gonna come up as quick as we can, Mark, but if we do it the wrong way and get sued, you won't get the increase.

Right.

We'll fight that in another four.

But I'm just trying to figure out in January 1 how we can table this to get put on the agenda.

We're gonna be ahead of we're gonna be ahead of schedule for January 1, but right now we're talking about the last two years, not next year.

I know, and that's why I fought this for a year going into it.

You know, we shouldn't have to come up here and fight every single year to get what's already allocated in the ordinance.

So are you opposed to this going forward?

I'm not gonna do it.

But I'm just trying to figure out why it had to go to council number one.

Because the city charter sets it up.

You clarify that we're done with it.

Yeah, okay.

Uh and moving forward, January one, how do we how do we make sure that we're getting done the way we've already been told we're gonna run business?

We are gonna set up a process that makes this more automatic from going from here to council to where it's not dependent on somebody making a phone call.

Good.

Why don't we got all the but we're gonna do it right?

And we're gonna do at least fine.

I'm good with that.

It's on the board.

Excuse me, Mr.

Shaffleford.

Um I do want to ease your uh concern with that as far as January 1st.

I know that um you have you have been patient.

The board does run recognize your patience over the last 18 months as we have tried to uh gather a full board to hold a quorum.

Um I would like to make one point, not not to cut you off, but we we prior to to you guys organizing this board, it was 18 years before there was a rate increase in the towing industry.

And Mr.

Burke can attest to this at Cain's he's bought trucks long before I was even an owner, and they went from you know 40 and 50,000 to over 150,000.

So, you know, when we're talking about six and eight and ten percent, that's not a lot of money.

And our insurance is doubled and tripled and trucks have went crazy.

I mean it's just it's a whole lot.

I I'd love for each one of you guys to come ride one day and you know see what we do and and and how we're functioning the city and the service that we provide.

And if we didn't, where would we be?

Well, I agree.

I'm not city doesn't own a tow truck.

No, we're not just because they know what it takes to do it.

Right, Mr.

Chakford.

What I wanted to ease your concern was that um believe that everyone's appointment runs through January.

Absolutely.

So we we will be able to uh go on as I I guess my my other question is is we're gonna vote for it today and we got it, we're good.

Now it's gonna go to council.

How long are we gonna table it there before it gets approved?

That's Chris Anderson now.

What's that?

What agenda is it on?

I mean we uh no I understand, but yeah, but my question would be all right.

Let me answer it.

Okay.

So city council rules also passed by ordinance, um, require that we give at least 14 days public notice for anything that goes in the city council agenda.

So if I were to submit something to Andrew's office today to go on a city council agenda, it couldn't be on in two weeks because it's Thursday and not Tuesday, but it could be on in three weeks.

Well it's true to say between now and the next meeting that'll be on there.

I will submit it before then, and it should be on before the next meeting.

It might actually be the week of the next meeting, it's gonna be about three to four weeks.

So I can't say for sure which specific week about that.

We got we got you good?

Yeah, okay.

Thank you, Chairman.

Thank you, members of the board for your service.

Thank you, Mr.

Anderson.

Do we have any uh one in the audience that would like to speak?

Hey, then Jonathan Easter and Nooga Taxi.

Uh just wanted to uh looking at the agenda notes for today.

Um is there any old business passing forward from last like as far as the Mercury transportation, Mercury stuff and the violations?

We just had a uh update from the inspector before you before you arrive, sir.

Um it is uh there is no court date pending between those two.

So what's the outcome?

What is the still we're still?

Oh, you say you're still waiting on a court date to deal with the infrared violations, not just with gotcha.

I just didn't know because it wasn't in here, so I didn't know if it needed to be on record in some kind of way.

Yeah, that it's being you're still yes, sir.

What I want.

Yeah, just stand up here and just talk right here.

Well, my name is Janie Parker.

I'm Mostella's record.

Jamie.

Uh J A N I E.

P A R K E R.

I have uh been in business in Chattanooga for 40 years.

I've been in the toying business for over 20.

And the whole time I've been here, I have been absolutely.

I'm sorry, we're having a hard time hearing you.

Yeah, this speak up, yeah, to speak up.

I just got out of the hospital yesterday, so I'm not done too well right here.

Um what my question is, and what I like to bring up in the next record board, is something that I can't talk about right now because of my I can't talk well right now, but I'd like to bring it up and what it is is women.

I'm a minority certified with the state Tennessee, certified the stitch the city of Chattanooga, certified in Georgia, certified with uh uh private property with toes in Georgia, which is a very difficult thing to have to get, almost impossible.

And so I feel that if I have the same records, I've invested the same millions and millions of dollars that all these other record drivers have, and they're getting the toes, and I am not.

I want somebody to explain to me why that's happening, and it's critical.

What's the name of your toys?

Most sellers.

Moss Bellas.

I can't hear Mossellers, Moss Stellar, most of it.

And I see it.

The next thing it's when we were given the wonderful raises.

We hadn't been like you said, 18 years we hadn't had a raise.

That was great and wonderful since everything had tripled for us.

It was good.

But when that happened, nobody did a research of how many record companies.

Chattanooga should have they used to open the doors, had toying companies come from all over the place, got the high rates.

We'd struggle with the low rates for 20 years.

All these new companies came in.

They're getting the high rates, and guess what?

They're in a motel room.

I pay 40,000 a year taxes in Chattanooga.

They pay none.

So they're getting profit, they're getting the money, and I know about five toying companies been here 50 years that are getting ready to close their door.

Because it's not fair.

And that's the second thing I want to talk about.

So Ms.

Parker, so that I can understand what you're saying is that your toll company is not in the uh rotation.

Or is it being skipped?

I can't hear him.

Is your toll company in the city's rotational or is your your company being skipped over?

Is that what you're saying?

You're saying your company's being skipped over on calls?

Yeah.

Yeah, they are on rotation.

They're on city rotation.

They also have the city contract tow all the city vehicles.

For 20 years.

So what what you're what are you trying to say?

What I'm trying to say.

You're not getting calls, like getting skipped over.

CPD, yeah.

Not getting CPD calls.

Right.

Or we'll get out there, they call us and we go out there to get it.

Okay.

And they give it to some other towing company.

So what I think.

Oh, I see.

I could be wrong.

What I think you're saying is you're getting called but not getting the calls or getting canceled on calls.

That is a dispatch issue.

Yeah, that is.

That's a dispatch issue, so it doesn't have anything to do with the board.

So dispatch is one that dispatches everybody.

Now you're also saying when you get on calls, you're getting there, get dispatched there, you're getting there, and the car is put to somebody else, somebody else picks it up.

Another towing company.

Okay.

Now it can be an honor's request.

But an owner's request is when the owner requests who he wants.

Right.

But there should be a time limit.

If if my record is called out there, and I've been out there for an hour, and then all of a sudden another towing company pulls that owner's request.

We spent that money, paid that insurance, paid that driver.

Right.

That's an issue you and I have to talk about with dispatch stuff.

So I think what she's saying, they're getting called out, and they get there and they find out that another company's been called to come get the same car.

So that comes down to the officer who's called it, called for the tow truck and dispatch.

Correct.

On that one, yeah.

Yeah, so that's something we'd have to discuss and try to figure out why that's happening.

Can you get the support to help me help me?

I mean, the only thing I can do is like I've done before talk to dispatch and talk to the officers and and have a meeting with the officers, which the supervisor goes to what we call lineup at the beginning of the shift and explain kind of training stuff with them.

Yeah.

So we have we might have to do that again with them.

Okay.

Well, you're and the other concern, if I'm correct, is that you're saying there's toll truck, no, excuse me, record companies that are operating here within the city that um that don't have brick and mortar, or are they just is that the concern?

It's called honor's request.

They'll call out, call up, they'll hand their business card to this car that's broke down, and they'll say, if you'll call this number, I'll save you $50.

So they have that person calling, and it and it's even worse on the heavy duties.

The heavy-duty truck lines are getting done lit.

There was three heavy duties yesterday.

I didn't get one.

You know, and I haven't got but two all year.

So there's something not right.

Six years ago, it was fair.

You know, that everybody had were from here, everybody knew the rules, but it's not working now.

Something's going on, and I'd like to discuss that at another time when y'all have time.

Yeah.

Well, it sounded like to meet the inspector, and you go he's gonna have to check in some stuff because it goes through the dispatcher.

So something's not something not right.

Those officers, they just get when they go, they just get the call to go.

They don't uh sound like there's some negotiation going on scene somewhere.

It's going to be an inspector go out.

Well, let's know for the heavy classes, class C and recovery.

Uh well, hang on, think of the wrong year.

Sorry.

I was gonna tell you who's on call, but uh I got the wrong thing on there.

But I'll I'll tell you who's on call when I find it.

That's fine.

I understand that uh that calendar is not a good calendar either.

So the calendar's done at a year at a time.

Yeah.

That's a toll truck.

They get to put another one on there.

Is that what you're saying?

Class C recovery.

Their schedule, they're on call a week at a time.

Okay.

So they're scheduled done for the whole year.

Okay.

Regular tow trucks put by districts, and whoever's on that district next, say you got a rec out here, whoever's next up comes and gets that car.

They have another one, you know, an hour later, whoever's on this district, the next up on rotation, it's just like revolving door.

They and there's six different districts.

So class C recovery is different, different uh categories.

That's the that's the heavy stuff.

Okay.

So being fairly new to the sports, six six different districts.

And how many tow trucks are in this rotation?

We have 28 companies.

Twenty-eight companies.

28 different companies.

Some have two tow trucks, some have 20.

So those are the kind of things that we'll be prepared to answer.

Is how many record companies got heavy duty records last month?

How many got how many companies same company got over 50% out of them?

That's what I'm talking about.

And I've never spoken up about it before.

But I I want to get everything together and see if I can help myself.

I'm old and I won't be around alone, but the younger, there's another girl, lady, woman, that wants to do this.

She wouldn't have a prayer.

All right.

Thank you.

Um Ms.

Parker.

We appreciate you addressing the board, and I'm sure the inspector will uh handle that with the uh dispatcher.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We we appreciate you addressing uh your concern bringing your concerns to the board.

Well, I apologize coming uncomplete with everything that I should have had.

But when I come back again, if you'll permit me to come back, I'll have charts and grass and spreadsheets that'll make it real clear what I'm trying to say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'd like to say one thing to kind of compliment what Miss Parker was saying, maybe add a little bit to it, maybe maybe make it sound a little clearer because I do get her frustration at times with A and D class uh towing.

Sometimes what'll happen for us as a tour is we'll get dispatched by Hamlet County 911, which is the dispatch service for all the municipalities, most of them in the county.

Um, and then we'll get there, and the consumer has already called their own tow truck.

So sometimes their own tow truck gets to the scene, and then we show up at the same time, and and it's a pistol match for a lack of a better word, who gets the call, and obviously the officer wants to do the right thing by the consumer and let her get her own car towed or the man get his own car towed by whoever they chose, and and they want to make sure that the tower gets their fair share on the rotation and their turn back, if that makes sense.

So in most cases, we ask to be put back on top of the list, and I'm sure that her folks do as well.

Um, you know, nine times out of ten that happens.

Uh there's there's an electronic system that I've been told at uh Hamilton County 901 that controls every single, you know, it's not just pulling a powerball number out of a out of a bowl.

It's it's a fixed rotation that you know, you get a turn, he gets a turn, they get a turn, I get a turn in, and it and it works efficiently that way in that in that dispatch cad system.

So um if they do put you back up, you do get the next call in most cases.

If the communications coordinator at 911 doesn't take the traffic right, and the police officer doesn't convey exactly what it meant, maybe you don't get put back, maybe they're busy and they don't do it.

I I don't know what the the algorithm would be there to figure out whether it works or doesn't work, but I've had that same challenge just with the A and D class stuff, the the C class stuff I can't really elaborate on, but I'm sure that there's reports that Gaynor or or Jeff Carney would be able to produce from 911 about who got what and when and how I got sent out or dispatched.

So those are easy to table attainable reports from Hamlet County 911.

So if I not mistaken, it just seems like there's a quick trigger from dispatch before the uh consumer has a chance to say if they want or moves on rotation or let me explain the whole thing.

Okay, good, thank you.

I get a call.

I work patrol, I get a call.

I go work a rec, broken down a car, whatever it is.

I've been there 28 years, I've got a little bit of knowledge.

Go, hey, walk up.

Do you have a company that you want to use?

A tow truck that you want to use.

If not, we have rotation list that the city goes by, they're on a rotation, they're certified.

We call the next one up on rotation.

It can be here wherever.

I cannot tell you who to call because if I if I tell you, hey, call this tow company over here, I get suspended and get days off and money out of my pocket.

We have a lot of new officers that the training may be not as good as maybe when I went through.

Um this younger generation.

So some of these officers don't ask that question.

Some of these officers go, hey, I'm calling you a tow truck, basically get over it.

That's an issue that we have discussed with our administration, with our supervisors, with these officers.

I might as well talk to this wall over here sometimes, as we all know.

This younger generation just doesn't want to listen sometimes.

But also, I call a tow truck or dispatch calls a tow truck.

That tow truck comes out, then all of a sudden we find out, oh, this owners called their own tow truck, but they didn't bother to let me know.

So that company on the rotation gets canceled.

Some companies pay their driver to show up at a call, especially one two o'clock in the morning, they have to pay their driver.

Some some companies go, well, as luck of the draw, we're not paying you to go out there.

Turn around and go back home, go to the house, wait for the next one.

Sometimes you'll get a uh like an abandoned call, abandoned car in the in the roadway or something.

You'll get that call, that car, plus you get the very next rotation call because it's abandoned and according to the city ordinance, that's what it has to be.

So there's a lot of different factors, mainly on the end of the police department and dispatch.

Gotcha.

Um questions I've heard has nothing to do with the board.

It's it's internal stuff that has to do with the police department patrol, our administration, and dispatch.

And but it doesn't sound like me that they're asking period, they're just calling the tow truck, and the and that person has already called there.

Right.

Yes, sometimes that happens.

Sometimes the officer doesn't ask, sometimes they just call for, oh, you're in the middle of the road, I'm calling a tow truck.

Instead of going five seconds, hey, do you have a tow truck you normally use?

I might use A all the time, but now I've got to use this company that you've called.

And of course, the rates are set for us, you know.

Um but it's more of an internal thing, isn't it?

It's not really anything I think the board needs to hear, because it is a dispatch between dispatch and the officers.

So do the city still pay the tow truck even though they went out there and did not get it.

City doesn't.

Oh, they don't the city doesn't pay money.

City doesn't pay the tow bill at all.

No, I'm just gonna go.

The only time the city pays is when they when we're calling, when the city when the city's calling in, the officers calling them to come out there, and they get out there, and this person has already called their tow truck company.

Doesn't it?

That company's out of luck.

Reimburse.

We're doing an apology.

Oops, our bad.

A problem.

Yeah, city does not.

The only time city pays a tow truck is if we have it towed by the city contract, which Mostellers has that currently, or an officer goes, calls a district record, one of our rotation records, and goes, Oh, I need this car taken back to Amnicola Highway for for whatever reason.

Then the city will reimburse them for that.

If it's a police towed back to the police department, basically.

Got it.

Okay.

And sometimes the city don't even pay that because they want to argue and not pay it.

So you're gonna check into it and let us know something next time.

I will address it again.

They do put out a they do, they do print out a print sheet.

When I was over there, they sent me a sheet every month, told me who got this car, and I I could tell how many how many cars marked by the pool.

They they don't send the only thing send out is for the week.

The ones that have gotten canceled or the ones that were not available, they send me a week.

Yeah, they they don't do that anymore.

I have to ask for it, and they have to go back in and then do it all.

It just takes a little time, but yeah.

Right, either.

I've already spoken.

I'll try and get all that information.

Okay, whenever they can give it to me.

Thank you, Inspector.

We appreciate you.

We have any anyone else.

All right.

Uh I have a motion to dismiss motion to all in favor, say aye.

Opposed.