Fountain Valley council hears pleas to revisit towing contract after police cite evidence-storage and other concerns

Fountain Valley held a special City Council meeting to revisit the police towing services request for proposals after extensive public comment from employees and supporters of incumbent Best Towing and questions from council members and staff.

Finance Director Ryan Smith told the council the police towing RFP, issued in April, was a qualifications-based revenue contract for two vendors beginning July 1. Smith said the city performed two rounds of evaluation (written proposals and on-site inspections) and that the evaluation panel recommended awarding contracts to G and W Towing and Southside Towing. He noted the RFP is discretionary and that the city retained the ability to apply requirements such as the five-mile radius "at the city's discretion." (Ryan Smith)

The meeting then moved to public comment, where Kelly Moses, owner/manager of Best Towing, and more than a dozen employees and community supporters urged the council to rescind or delay the award. Moses said Best Towing has provided police-directed towing for roughly 40 years, described on-site security and recordkeeping at the company's facility, and asked the council to "re-evaluate our facility and revise their recommendations to award Best Towing." Several speakers provided photos and logistics arguments that Southside Towing is outside a five-mile radius of the Fountain Valley Police Department and questioned the change in Best Towing's evaluation scores between 2020 and 2026. (Kelly Moses; multiple public commenters)

Some speakers raised unverified accusations about improper influence in the selection process. Those remarks were presented as allegations during public comment; council and staff repeatedly said such claims should be investigated through appropriate legal channels. (public commenters)

Police leadership responded to the public appeals with a detailed account of the inspection findings and operational concerns. The police chief told the council inspectors found non-evidence items (gas cans, tools, a golf cart) in Best Towing's evidence storage area, unsecured overflow storage accessible to employees, an incident in 2024 in which an evidence vehicle was sold without written Fountain Valley Police Department consent (a matter that required explanation to the district attorney's office), an overbilling error corrected earlier this year, and an allegation that on June 2 a Best Towing driver refused a requested tow that G and W subsequently completed. The chief said those findings reduced departmental confidence in Best Towing's ability to meet contractual obligations and explained why the department recommended other vendors. (Police chief)

Kelly Moses acknowledged mistakes — she said an overbilling was her error and was corrected — and said Best Towing had already made improvements (cleaning storage, adding keypad and deadbolt security) after the initial inspection. "We're committed to remaining a secure facility and keeping it as you have my word," she said, while also asking for a short extension to demonstrate fixes and avoid significant business disruption for employees who depend on the contract. (Kelly Moses)

Council members debated next steps. One council member proposed asking staff to extend Best Towing's contract for three months and to refer the bribery allegation to the district attorney for investigation; the city attorney reminded the dais that the meeting was a study session and could not produce a binding contract action and recommended placing any formal action on a future agendized item. Several council members said staff should review credible allegations and return with options; others said the RFP process and police recommendation appeared to have been followed. No binding vote to rescind or modify the award occurred at the session. (Council discussion)

The meeting concluded with the mayor adjourning at 6:43 p.m. Council members directed staff to review the concerns raised and to return with an agenda item if further action was warranted; the contract award itself remained as reported by staff and the police department pending any subsequent agendized action or legal review. (Mayor Keneen)

What happens next: Staff said they will review the allegations raised and, if necessary, prepare a future agenda item; the district attorney or other authorities could be asked to investigate specific, credible allegations of criminal conduct. The current RFP award was not reversed during the study session and any contractual changes would require a future, agendized council action.