Birmingham City Council votes to delay considering proposed towing ordinances

Birmingham city leaders have voted to delay considering proposed amendments to the city’s parking and towing ordinances.During a Tuesday City Council meeting, concerned citizens and towing company representatives discussed proposed changes to Birmingham towing ordinances.These changes, including improved towing signage and grace periods before towing can occur, would be the first update to the city's towing ordinances in a decade.One woman who spoke in Tuesday's meeting shared her own experience, expressing confusion after she was told that the city ordered her car to be towed, only to be told the opposite when she called the city to complain."I was told that the city of Birmingham instructed them to tow my vehicle, and I'm like, the city of Birmingham, why would the city do that?" asked Yvette Crumpton. "Something said, dial 911; I was informed that the city did not tell them to take my vehicle, so there are some people operating under the guise of the city.Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, chair of the Transportation Committee, said he has been encouraged by the conversation and feedback from members of the public throughout this process.Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube“There were definitely issues that were brought up that we had not heard before when we heard from residents in June. It’s really great to get these comments into the public record,” O’Quinn said. “There were multiple people that have referred to the ambiguity of the signage that refers to overnight parking. I think that’s really valuable for us to hear. I’m looking forward to this additional opportunity for people to provide feedback. I’d like to thank the mayor’s team and our city attorneys for their continued work and diligence on these important updates to our city code.”The city council will continue to accept public comments until Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 5 p.m., with a public hearing held the following week on Tuesday, Sept. 12.