Despite Town Marshals' Objections, Mentone To Rotate Wrecker Services
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
MENTONE – Despite Town Marshal Jim Eads being adamant that Mentone only needed Reichert & Knepp Inc. for its wrecker service, the town council unanimously voted Tuesday evening to use the county’s wrecker rotation list. At the Aug. 3 council meeting, Councilwoman Jill Gross said she had been contacted by Roger Crouse of Crouse Body Shop Inc., Warsaw, asking that Crouse be put on the wrecker rotation list. The council agreed to invite Crouse and other interested wrecker services to Tuesday’s meeting. In attendance Tuesday were Crouse and representatives of Reichert & Knepp Inc., Plymouth and Warsaw; Glen’s Wrecker Service, Warsaw; and Raven Wrecker Service, Syracuse. Crouse thanked Gross for taking his phone call and taking the matter up. “The reason I brought it up is because there’s no home wrecker here in town, and I look at this as this could be a rotation area (for) all the wreckers based in Warsaw, basically. And I just feel we should rotate down here,” Crouse said. He said Crouse’s rates are $120 for impounds and $30 a day for storage. On weekends, there is a $50 charge for getting a car out of impound. The business has three rollbacks, one conventional and two semi wreckers. “Basically, we pride ourselves in getting there quick. When they call, we’re out the door,” Crouse said. The Glen’s Wrecker Service representative said Glen’s has four flatbeds available, one semi wrecker and road service. Its rates are $125 for impounds and $25 a day for storage. It has the same rate for weekends, he said, but they’re not open on weekends. The Raven representative said he was only there to observe and that Mentone was too far for his Syracuse business. The Reichert representative said, “We’ve been towing for Mentone for several years and don’t think we’ve ever had a complaint against us.” He said the cost was $150 and storage was $30 a day. Reichart has four flatbeds, five semi wreckers and a conventional. After hearing the representatives’ brief presentations, Councilwoman Shelly Krueger, “I think it would be good to rotate. There’s no reason not to.” Eads asked the council, “Are we going to have to rotate everything we purchase from here on out then? I’m talking about vehicles, uniforms – there are many uniform shops within a 50-mile radius, plus it can go down to jock even. We going to have to use different paving people every time? I don’t understand.” Krueger said it’s typical to rotate for towing and that’s all the council was talking about. “It’s apples to apples, Shelly,” Eads responded. “We’re talking strictly about wreckers,” Krueger said. Deputy Terry Engstrand said there are departments throughout the county that use specific wrecker services. Not all departments in the county use rotation, he said. The City of Warsaw and the county rotate calls to wrecker services, Crouse said, and it seems to work out pretty well. Places like Mentone don’t have a hometown wrecker service, he said. Engstrand said Reichert worked out well for Mentone because it was nearby in Bourbon. Gross asked if the wrecker service was still in Bourbon. The representative of Reichert said they have a truck there at night in Bourbon, but basically they are in Plymouth and Warsaw now. It still uses its storage lot in Bourbon. Gross asked Eads if he was going to be against using wrecker services on a rotational basis. “I am,” Eads responded. “Reichert’s has done us a good job. We’ve never had any issues or anything like that. Until that time comes ...” Gross asked if Glen’s or Crouse has ever been a problem. “No,” Eads said. “Have you tried using them?” Gross asked. “As far as regular vehicle traffic, no, or towing, no,” Eads said. “When we get the larger companies, like the trucks get hit on the tracks or caught on tracks and we need to get them off – that is normally done by their dispatch anyway and they know what’s in the area.” When there’s an accident, Gross asked Eads if they ask the driver involved if they have a wrecker preference. Eads said they don’t give the vehicle owner a choice unless they request someone on their own. “What it boils down to is, it’s totally up to you?” Gross asked. “Correct,” Eads answered. Krueger mentioned there was a “big” difference in price between the wrecker services. Eads said it wasn’t up to Krueger to dictate what the businesses charge, and she responded that was not what she said at all. “If you’re in rotation, it doesn’t matter (what you charge),” Gross said, agreeing with Krueger. She also said it should be the vehicle owner’s choice of where their vehicle is towed. Eads asked the council how it was their decision to use a rotation for wreckers. He said it should be his decision. “You know, it seems like the (police) chief has rule over everything, everything we do,” Gross responded. “In my department, yes,” Eads said. “Then maybe we should table this and have another discussion,” Gross responded. “If that’s what you want to do, Jill, by golly let’s do it,” Eads said. Gross eventually made a motion to start using the county’s rotation system for wrecker services, and it was approved 3-0.
