07/20/2024
‼️BRAINERD COMMUNITY‼️
We feel we need to make this post so people are aware of some things happening that many don’t know or understand.
The city of Brainerd has a Towing contract for their police department, many cities across the state do. They send out a formal packet to receive bids, they then discuss and review it and pick the best in their opinion.
This contract has all towing and services listed, general towing, accidents, steer sweeping, snow removal, heavy duty semi towing, winching, clean up and more.
If you go back, Petersons Towing had it for many years, when petersons closed, west brainerd had it, then we had it. Then we didn’t get it.
With this, there has been some major favoritism by city council President Kelly Bevins. He lied through his teeth to get his way and not use us in 2022, it’s on recorded video. Even though we were the recommended towing company by the leaders in the city, Kelly made sure it didn’t go that way.
As a company that proudly serves the communities we work and live in, we understand things can go this way. We have backed West Brainerd Amoco on many calls, calls they needed 4x4 trucks on, semi rollovers they can’t handle, towed the cities fire trucks they can’t handle, accidents and police tows they didn’t answer their phone for or didn’t respond to, the list goes on. We made the council aware of this, as if someone is awarded the contract, they should handle it on their own, or, alternative, have a rotation and use both companies so you know you are handled.
West Brainerd Amoco is an excellent company, they are smaller, they just don’t always have the staff on to cover at all times, also, big trucks are not cheap and operstors are expensive to staff, we understand that. We don’t fault them for doing what they do or have done. They’d re good people.
But at some point, we are not going to continue to back them when the contract is clear. When we get bashed by the city council president himself and the snake he is.
After towing over 30+ police calls in 2023 that were suppose to be covered by the contract and contract pricing, 10+ heavy duty calls, we have decided after the 2024 contract once again to west brainerd amoco thanks to Kelly, all on recording at the council meeting, thst we would not back them up.
In fact, qoute, Kelly Bevins said we are not to touch any city of brainerd owned vehicles or property. He made sure to call our business the week after the decision was made and made unprofessional comments while it sounded like he was intoxicated or under the use of something.
We announced to the council l, the fire chief, police chief and the public works, that we are done helping the city of brainerd. We will no longer back another towing company thst doesn’t have the correct equipment the contract asks for.
This is in many ways, typical tows, semi rollovers, fire trucks stuck, city plow trucks, garbage trucks, etc.
We don’t have a choice but to stand up and protect ourselves against a person that doesn’t know what he’s doing. The entire city council didn’t seem to care either.
The ones that care, are the ones that know what we are capable of doing, the ones that need and use our services. The men and woman who put their lives on the line every day, if it’s a police officer waiting for a tow and gets hit, in the cold, waiting for the proper equipment on a river recovery, a fire truck broke down on the way to and from a fire call, maybe a long day, the city plows that get stuck and need help. The general public broke down blocking a lane of traffic in harms way.
We emailed the council, all of them and didn’t get ONE single response. NOT ONE.
We did speak with the fire chief and police cheif and they both understood, were apologetic and knew what our team has always done for them.
We do NOT want to be blamed for the councils decision and problems. We are not running our business for the fort of brainerd to gain off of and expect us to operate at someone else rates and decisions.
Today was another day, another call, a stuck fire truck for Brainerd. We absolutely HATE telling them no, sorry. Those are our fellow first responders. They give absolutely everything for our community. But we are not government owned. We have bills to pay. Our heavy wreckers are $400,000 plus.
The city council needs to learn and needs to figure out what is right, what is wrong and even if you have a bone to pick with someone it shouldn’t effect the entire community.
When we are told to never touch a city owned vehicle again or we will be reprimanded, we won’t and don’t.
We are truly sorry and hope you all understand.
