Harrison county commission updates tow policy

CLARKSBURG W.Va. — Harrison County Commission ratified a new county tow policy Thursday morning.
Commission President Ron Watson said that tow policies are generally reviewed every three years. The tow policy is key to maintaining a sense of organization among competing companies Watson said.
“We don’t have ten tow trucks listening to the police scanner going out there and battling each other over who’s going to get to tow,” he said.
The tow policy only impacts tow truck companies that have applied to be on the county’s rotation. Rates for those tows are set by the Public Service Commission, and Watson says that those rates are designed to stop a non-affiliated tow from charging exorbitant amounts.
“But if it’s an owners request and not on the list and you get a tow truck–sky’s the limit,” said Watson. “There’s no set fees on what they can charge the person to tow their vehicle.”
And that, Watson said, is what makes having the county tow policy valuable.
“There’s a set fee there,” said Watson. “PSC establishes the rate by which these towers can charge.”
The policy will also put less priority on abandoned vehicles–as long as they are not involved in an emergency situation. Watson says that those vehicles provide challenges when it comes to locating an owner.
“We need to identify abandoned vehicles, and at what point does the 911 call list come into play,” said Watson.