Denver council approves Fercam towing contract extension, $1.5M increase
The 11-1 vote would raise Fercam’s city-paid tow rates to $209 and $248 and extend the agreement through Aug. 31, 2027, while officials prepare a new procurement with stronger performance requirements.
Denver’s City Council approved a $1.5 million increase for the city’s towing-services contract with Fercam Inc. on Monday, extending the agreement through Aug. 31, 2027. The measure passed 11-1, with Councilmember Sawyer opposed, the council meeting record shows.
The council-approved amendment would raise the contract ceiling from $21.5 million to $23 million and add one year to the agreement. General Services reported 26,361 tows from May 2025 through June 2026 and $16.679 million in spending since the contract began in September 2022, according to the committee meeting video and city presentation.
The amendment would increase the city-paid rate for tows of vehicles weighing less than 11,000 pounds from $190 to $209. The rate for heavier vehicles would rise from $225 to $248. The amended Fercam agreement also sets $50 and $75 charges for canceled, or “no-go,” calls involving lighter and heavier vehicles. The city would not be charged when an operator fails to arrive within the required response time.
The agreement lists $190 and $225 hourly rates for towing and recovery work, including winching, hoisting, standby, vehicle relocation and accident-scene cleanup. Roadside assistance for city-owned vehicles would cost $50 per service for lighter vehicles and $100 for heavier vehicles. A mileage item for vehicles retrieved from or taken to locations outside Denver is listed as $3 per “each,” without specifying a per-mile charge.
Those are rates paid by the city, not necessarily charges to vehicle owners. Denver’s official towing information lists a $100 fee to move a vehicle and says owners must pay impound-lot fees before release. Neither that page nor the amendment establishes that the contract changes alter customer charges.
Sawyer said the contract lacks customer-service metrics and questioned whether the city adequately enforces accident-scene cleanup. Sawyer cited a personal experience after a January crash, saying the tow-truck driver lacked customer service, and said bumpers were frequently left in city rights of way. Sawyer also noted that the original solicitation received one final bid. General Services said nine potential participants downloaded the solicitation and that other towing companies later participated as subcontractors.
General Services said the city is preparing a new towing procurement for next year with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Department of Safety. Staff said the process will examine gaps in the current agreement and seek stronger performance and documentation requirements.
The city already tracks the 45-minute response-time requirement through its tow-management system, which records when a call is submitted, when an operator arrives, when a vehicle is hooked up, travel time and the destination. General Services said response times are generally below 45 minutes, though some calls miss the target. Staff did not provide a finalized customer-satisfaction metric or compliance threshold for the next solicitation.
General Services also said it is developing an audit or spot-checking process for accident-scene cleanup. The tow-management system can receive photographs, and the primary contractor has been asked to upload more images documenting accident sites, arrivals and towing. The city has not finalized the required photo set, cleanup metric or audit schedule.
The amendment’s pricing controls apply after execution. The agreement is not binding until required city signatories have executed it and, if required by the City Charter, the council has approved it. Monday’s vote establishes council approval, but the available record does not show that all required signatures have been completed.