New Haven Independent

Sal Brancati (pictured), who used to help out the towing industry as the city’s development director and has since lobbied the city in towers’ favor, resurfaced as aldermen considered a proposal to create a city-owned impound lot for towed cars.

The city has been considered the idea before, but rejected it as a financial sinkhole. Recently, the idea resurfaced in the mind of Newhallville Alderwoman Alfreda Edwards. She said her motivation was two-fold: One, the need for revenue for the city in strapped financial times. Two, distrust of the current set-up: “A lot of the tow companies are big contributors to the [mayor’s] campaign, so I want the city to look closely at that.”

Right now, when a tax scofflaw or ticket-ower has left their car for too long on city streets, the towing’s done by seven private companies, said Brancati. The companies tow the cars to their private lots, where storage fees accrue.

If those cars were stored instead on a big city lot, the city could stand to gain revenue in storage fees, reckoned Edwards. She introduced an aldermanic order to have city staff explore the idea and report back.

Based on initial research examined at a meeting of the aldermanic Municipal Services Committee last week, the impound idea didn’t look so promising.

Legislative staff looked at models from other cities who run their own impound lots.

One in Knoxville, Tenn., made hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue … but ate up a 16-acre lot.

“For us to try to find 16 acres would be, you know, physically impossible,” noted East Rock Alderman Roland Lemar.

“How about the police firing range?” There seemed to be some storage room there, suggested Edwards.

Besides the obvious question of where such an impound lot would be located without disturbing neighbors or causing undue traffic, the project would be a financial loss for the city, argued Brancati. Revenue gained from storage and profits from abandoned cars would be eaten up by other costs, he said. And what if a car being towed to the city lot got banged up along the way? The city would be held liable. Not to mention being responsible for disposing of abandoned cars. All totaled, the city would get a better revenue stream by developing the land instead of creating an impound lot, concluded Brancati.

Lemar, perusing models from several municipalities, tended to agree: “My concern is this ends up looking like a loss.”

Deputy Economic Development Administrator Chrissy Bonanno (pictured at top of this story) appeared equally skeptical about whether the lot would save money for taxpayers. But she agreed to look into the idea.

In an gesture that now passes to the full Board of Aldermen, the committee voted by consensus to order city staff to report back on the topic by April 15.

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