Towing ordinance still faces challenges

Frederick City Briefs by Erica L. Green | Staff Writer

While Frederick motorists can breathe easier knowing that an impending towing ordinance is on their side, the new city laws still face opposition.

A City of Frederick ordinance set to go in effect Feb. 2 will put a cap on impounding fees, require towing companies to inform registered car owners of a vehicle's removal if the car isn't retrieved in three days, and gives aggrieved customers avenues to take action against towing companies.

Clint Hoffman (R), a mayoral candidate and owner of Discount Towing — the towing company cited as the motivation for the ordinance against "predatory towers" — said that he is working with his attorney to file an injunction against some of constraints under which businesses have to comply with the new laws.

And Hoffman says it's not the once controversial $200 fee cap placed on companies for towing charges or the required 24-hour storage of the vehicle, or the $50 fee cap on additional 24-hour storage that bothers him.

"I'm happy with the prices, because it needed to be regulated," Hoffman said. "But they should have given us a few months to do everything we need to do. How do you get everything done in 22 days?"

Hoffman said he will challenge the requirements for signage. The ordinance requires towing businesses to replace current signs with larger, brighter ones, a task that Hoffman believes will take more time than the 22 days allotted. So far, Hoffman said he has purchased 20 new signs which cost $2,000.

Hoffman will also ask for more time to notify registered car owners of their car's towing. The law requires that if a car hasn't been claimed in 72 hours, the company notify the owner via certified mail—also an extra cost that Hoffman hopes to scale down.

Hoffman will also seek to eliminate the requirement that towing companies accept Visa and MasterCard because it adds extra cost to the company to buy the equipment.

Other towing company owners said they are adjusting to the requirements just fine. Dave Grimm, owner of Grimm's Automovation and a member of the city's towing advisory committee, initially objected to some of the financial burdens implied by the ordinance, but in the end said it all evened out.

"The way that the mayor and Board of Aldermen worked with the towing agencies — it was give and take. I think we resolved it as best as possible, it has to be fair for all parties," Grimm said.

County grant could give facelift to city neighborhoods

Partners of Frederick County's affordable housing agencies will be vying for funds that could give city neighborhoods a facelift.

The Frederick County Department of Housing and Community Development will apply for a grant from the state's housing department this month to rehab and resell foreclosed homes countywide.

Mike Spurrier, director of the Frederick Community Action Agency, presented the plan to the mayor and Board of Aldermen last week, asking for their support. The aldermen endorsed the program.

"While we don't get any funding, I think it's a good thing for the city," said Alderman Marcia A. Hall (D).

The county plans to apply for the funds by today's deadline; if granted, the $3.5 million initiative will be implemented by the spring. The cities of Frederick and Brunswick will be the benefactors of about 30 refurbished homes in areas identified to be plagued by foreclosures. The targeted neighborhoods in the city, listed as "severe" in the plans, are Hillcrest, Amber Meadows, Key Parkway and Whittier.

The majority of the funds will assist with down payments for homebuyers, while 25 percent of the funds will be used to acquire and refurbish the homes. The program looks to provide about 120 deferred loans to middle-class families.

"The minimum income is 120 percent of the median income for Frederick County," Spurrier said. "That's a significant income, so it's not necessarily targeted toward families with more modest incomes. But, it would fill a gap in workforce housing."

The program specifically cites providing affordable workforce housing for police officers, firefighters, teachers and city employees.

"We're hoping to get homebuyers that really have a stake in Frederick and consequently a stake in their new neighborhoods," Spurrier said. "If we can get more police officers and firefighters and teachers living locally, it adds to the safety and quality of our neighborhoods. And, it helps those families with commuting cost."

City residents and property owners embraced the idea, particularly as the city is grappling with issues such as overcrowding and housing code violations.

"Taking blighted properties off the market, and get them fixed up and usable is a win-win situation for everybody," said Steve Fox, owner of Fox Realty and a member of the Frederick County Association of Realtors. "It's really going to help communities get rid of some of the code problems like maintenance and it will get rid of eyesores."


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