Tugs towing Shell drill ship to Dutch Harbor

A Royal Dutch Shell PLC drill barge that ran aground New Year Eve is on the move from near Kodiak Island in Alaska to Dutch Harbor.

Shell spokesman Curtis Smith says in an email to the related Press that the Kulluk left the bay Tuesday afternoon. Three tugs are towing the barge in a journey projected to take about ten days.

The Kulluk drilled in the Beaufort Sea last year and was being towed to Seattle when it broke loose from its towing ship. The round drilling barge ran aground New Year Eve.

It was reflated and towed to the protected bay, but the Coast Guard had planned it to remain anchored until its condition was assessed. The Coast Guard lifted its control last week.

Smith says once the Kulluk reaches Dutch Harbor it will be placed aboard a larger vessel for a dry tow to shipyard in Asia.

Haul of shame? State maybe curbs predatory towing

Provo Mayor John Curtis, concerned about stories he had heard of greedy towing, recently asked on his blog for example of unreasonable practice by tow-truck companies that he could take to the City Council.

That was on a Monday at 7 a.m. By Tuesday at 3 p.m., when the board meeting began, he had 700 nightmarish yarns about predatory tow-truck operators.

Then Curtis sister-in-law, former state Rep. Trisha Beck, complained last week to Sandy City after a guest at a dinner party she was hosting couldn’t drive up steep, snow packed 9000 south, level with assistance from a police officer. So she left her car in a store parking lot and had her son take her to the party.

The car was towed, and she had to split over cash to get it back, level though the no-parking signs were covered with snow and the lot was nearly empty on a Sunday night. We have tried to discuss with businesses and have gotten them to post more and larger signs so people know of parking limits, said Sandy spokeswoman Nicole Martin. But as private property, our hands are tied.

Curtis said the problem stems from the high fines that Tow-Truck Companies can levy against drivers who park in no-parking areas in private lots. The state, whose laws are tilted in help of property owners and tow-truck operators, allows a $145 charge for the tow, plus gas and other operating expense. That as a rule puts it over $200, said Curtis, when a parking ticket on a city street will cost only $15 to $20. The punishment doesn’t fit the crime.

Rep. Keven Stratton, R-Orem, is preparing a bill that would let cities start the minimum tow charge instead of the state. Curtis, who is working with Stratton on the measure, says cities would be disposed to set much lower fees. Stratton bill also would give city the leeway to set ordinance on the number and size of no-parking signs in parking lots, establish a car owner bill of rights, provide for alternating means of payment besides cash and spell out a minimum amount of time a car can be parked before it is towed.

San Antonio towing fees to increase 108 percent

In a small more than a week, if you get towed, what you pay to get your car may be a lot higher than you are used to dishing out.

On Thursday, the city council approved new costs for towing, which is more than double the present rate. The reason it outrageous is because it is such a huge jump, said Melissa Marquez, who had to pick up her husband on Thursday after he was complicated in an accident and had to get his truck towed.

Marquez said while they have insurance to pay for repairs and for their truck to get towed, they are a little alarmed about the new cost of towing in the city. If we had not had insurance, I do not know if we would be able to afford that set back, said Marquez. I'm sure every person is on tight finances and so are we.

The new rule increases the fee from $85 to $177, which is an increase of 108 %. However, city officials said the now tow rate fee has not changed since 2002. With rise and the cost of fuel, the city’s public safety committee recommended raising the fee.

I think that the fee is too steep, said Mark Araya, who had his car towed a few years ago. And, they have to do something about it the new towing fees go into result February 10. Araya said he's not taking any chances and will be keeping a close eye on parking signs.

Huge towing billing raises concerns

Councilman Tony George said he will address recent accusation of improper bill against the city's contracted Towing Company during Tuesday's city council work session.

Mr. George said LAG Towing shockingly tried to charge Natalie Aleo, an 82-year-old Wilkes-Barre tenant whose stolen car was found in Plymouth Twp. on Dec. 11 and then transported to LAG Towing at 307 Carey Ave., Wilkes-Barre.

Aleo says she did not receive notice from police that her car was found and didn't find out until LAG Towing told her last week that the car was being held at LAG lot.

When she went to pick her car up, she was told she have to pay $245 for the tow and $1,745 in storage space fees. So to let alone paying the towing fees and costs to fix the car, she signed the title over to LAG Towing.

More Aleo said she later received a call from LAG Towing owner Leo Glodzik, who told her he wouldn't have billed her if he did known the car, was reported stolen.

Efforts to reach Mr. Glodzik for comment Monday were unsuccessful.

Jeep Grand Cherokee update bring promise to towing enthusiast

Sure, a new Corvette is catnip to car journalists. But my interest runs toward new beast of burden, since I use most of my weekends towing a 23-foot current of air trailer behind a 2011 Dodge Durango. So I was rather interest to hear about the 2014 improvement made to the Durango's platform-mate, the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

First up is the new elective turbo diesel V6. Getting a diesel SUV without a steep European price tag has been a challenge, but this Jeep offers an option. With phenomenal torque and a maximum 7,400-pound towing capacity, I'm looking forward to hitch up my Airstream. And the Jeep's 30-mpg highway rating is pretty an improvement over that of my Hemi-powered Durango.

Curiously, Jeep offered a diesel Grand Cherokee before, but it had few takers. We'll see if consumers are keen to buy the diesel in more sizable numbers this time around. At smallest amount now the Grand Cherokee is a premium vehicle, more amenable to the diesel likely price premium.

Jeep has made towing capacity improvement across the board on the Grand Cherokee. The gasoline V6, mated to the new 8-speed automatic, is rated to tow 6,200 pounds - up from the previous 5,000-pound limit. Level the super-high-performance SRT variant came in for a towing capacity improvement, now up to 7,200 pounds from the previous 5,000-pound limit.

It's good to see that Jeep paid mind to how their customers use their Jeeps, making improvements that add capability rather than just creature comfort.

Rules for town of Auburn in towing contract lawsuit

Even though state procurement laws exempt community from having to get competitive bids from towing and vehicle-storage companies, selectmen opted to ask for proposals in 2009. As a result, the town and selectmen were sued by losing bidder Michael Rubidoux, the owner of City line Towing.

Justice John S. McCain in recent times ruled in favor of the town and dismissed Mr. Robidoux's case in Worcester finer Court. The judge said the town hadn't acted in bad faith when it awarded a 3-year contract to Fuller Auto Body, and deemed City line an unresponsive bidder. Fuller had long had the town's towing business.

Courts will not interfere with an awarding authority result on who was the highest, responsible, responsive and qualified bidder unless the protester establishes that the awarding authority acted in bad faith, or in an arbitrary or unreasonable manner, the decision said.

The town said City line didn't meet 5 items on a 15-point checklist of criteria. The company did not meet the town's values for security and insurance, nor did it submit a list of before awarded government contracts, as the request called for.

The town is extremely pleased with the superior court's decision, Town Manager Julie A. Jacobson said. The judgment affirms that the town of Auburn and its Board of Selectmen acted properly and was the law with regards to the awarding of this towing contract under Chapter 30B, the procurement statute.

Mr. Robidoux could not be reach for comment. The phone number for his business was out of service, and his home phone line was busy throughout the day today. His lawsuit said City line was the lowest quick to respond bidder for the job.

Mr. Rubidoux sought injunctive relief and asked the court not to award the contract to Fuller. He asked the court to arrange the town and police to rotate towing jobs between Fuller and Rubidoux redo the entire bidding process and reimburse Mr. Robidoux legal and court fees.

Mr. Robidoux had worked for Pat's Towing Service in Worcester and started his own towing business in Auburn. He made investigation with town officials, and selectmen decided it was in the town's best attention to seek bids for a 3-year towing and storage pact. Then-Town Administrator Charles O'Connor opened the 2 sealed bids on Jan. 27, 2009, and forwards them to Police Chief Andrew J. Sluckis, who directed Sgt. Kenneth Charlton to review them.

The police sergeant inspected the bidders' property and tools. All 15 items were checked as approved for Fuller, and 10 of the 15 items were permitted for Robidoux, the court decision said. In its request for bids, the town said the awardees would provide passable security of vehicles at the place of storage, with a fenced and lighted area away from the public way to prevent needless traffic overcrowding from people wanting to view accident vehicles.

According to the decision, Mr. Robidoux's property was not fenced at the rear of the property. The rear was bounded by a small brook and woods. While it was not likely a car could have been driven out of the lot, it was accessible by foot, the town said.Also, City line did not submit certificates of insurance for the minimum levels of coverage — $750,000 in mutual single limit's bodily injury and property damage’$100,000 in garage keeper's liability; and $50,000 in cargo insurance.

The sergeant also found that one City line truck had inoperable lighting tools. Based on the chief's reference; selectmen voted 4-0 on Feb. 23, 2009, to award the contract to Fuller.

Ms. Jacobson said the Fuller contract expired last year, but the town extended it through Jan. 31. The town has also executed a new contract to move forward for the next 3 years with Fuller, she said.

The pact will have the same parameters, with the town to receive 20 percent of towing and storage revenue, up to $100 for storage; 20 percent of extra service charges; and $25 for all towed vehicle that remains at the body shop for repair. The town did not seek bids before selecting Fuller this time. There were 822 police tows for calendar year 2012, according to the chief.

Based on those numbers, it can be estimated the town would receive $24,000 a year from Fuller, Ms. Jacobson said. Fuller has been given that services to the town of Auburn for decades, and we are not only pleased with the service, but we believe that the service is reasonable, she said. She thanked lawyer Robert J. Hennigan Jr. for his handling of the case on behalf of the town.

Guy's Towing Services

New Year's Eve revelers who overeat have a no-cost option for getting themselves and their vehicles home safely.

It comes courtesy of Guy's Towing, which is offer free rides and tows to would-be drivers who are drunk in Baton Rouge, Broussard and Lafayette, where the 25-year-old towing company is headquartered. We've been offering this service during the holiday time for as long as we've had the company, says Roxanne Street, business manager for Guy's Baton Rouge office.

We do it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So far this season, Guy's has towed home seven drivers, according to Street, who expect several more calls between now and Wednesday, when the Tow for Life service ends.

I hope we do a lot of it and keep people off the road, she says. To get a ride, call Guy's central dispatch number toll-free at 800-237-GUYS (4897).