January 28, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 3 Ho-Ho-Kus Council to consider updated towing fees for borough by Jennifer Crusco Honoring his pledge, Ho-Ho-Kus Councilman Kevin Crossley has been conducting a review of the fees that are charged to motorists who need their vehicles towed out of the borough. At last week’s council work session, Crossley said he has been assembling towing ordinances from local municipalities, including Allendale and Saddle River, and will soon be ready to present recommendations to the full council – possibly as early as February. Crossley said the fees that are being charged in Ho-HoKus should be increased, but offered his opinion that the new rates would be reasonable based on information he culled from the Automobile Association of America. Last fall, Tom LoCicero, owner of a towing company licensed by the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus, asked the governing body to review the local ordinance that covers towing rates. LoCicero, who spoke on behalf of his own company and two others that are licensed by Ho-Ho-Kus, told the council the rates in the current ordinance are relatively low, and said he believed the charges had not been updated since the 1980s or 1990s. He offered to meet with the council at a work session, or to review the ordinance with the borough attorney or the administrator. LoCicero explained that he is working in other municipalities to have local towing rates updated. He pointed to the towing companies’ increasing expenses, including fuel, insurance, payroll, and workers’ compensation. LoCicero said that, in some cases, Ho-Ho-Kus charges $45 for a tow. He said that price is one of the lowest fees in the area. Other neighboring municipalities have already increased the fee for the same job to $95, he said. He also said the borough’s fee of $12 to $15 a day to store towed vehicles is low, and that there are no rates listed for the recovery of vehicles that have flipped over or those that have left the roadway. LoCicero said that, while some observers might say that his request to raise the towing rates represents a conflict of interests, he and his peers are professionals who deal with current charges in other nearby locations on a regular basis. He said he wants to be able to charge a fair price for his service. LoCicero also asked that the council consider writing a cost of living increase into the fee ordinance. Ho-Ho-Kus currently works with Rondale Towing, Citywide Towing, and All Points Towing. The police department keeps these companies on call on designated weeks, so each tower has an opportunity to respond to calls in the borough. S easons ... for Valentine’s Day All Pasta • Salad • Pizza 83 West Allendale Ave Allendale 201-995-1100 Thin Crust Pizza Specializing in WEBKINZ Love Monkey $13.95 Love Frog only $3.00 ����������������������������������������������������� ������������������� Hamilton Square Shopping Center 140 Franklin Tpke, Waldwick • 201-251-7577 Place Your Chocolate Covered Strawberries Orders Now ������������������������������� ������������������������������� ������������������� ������������������������������������ ������������������������������������ ����������������������� ���� ����������� ��� ���������� ��������������������� ������������������������������ ������������������������ ������������ ���������������������������������� ������������������������������� ���������������������������������� ���������������������������������� ������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������� ����������������������������������� ������������������������������ ������������� ��� �������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������� ������������ ���������������������������������� ����������������������������������������� �������������������������������������� ��������������������������� �����������������