City Council Meeting Date: December 2, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Jeff Schroepfer, Chief of Police
Lynette Peterson, City Clerk
Title
Consider approval of a new three-year towing agreement between the City of Northfield and Raider Automotive LLC dba Valley Autohaus.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council is asked to consider at Motion approving the attached towing agreement between the City of Northfield and Raider Automotive LLC dba Valley Autohaus and
authorizing the Mayor, and City Clerk to execute the agreement.
Summary Report:
The Council is asked to approve the agreement between the City of Northfield and Raider Automotive LLC dba Valley Autohaus for Raider Automotive LLC dba Valley Autohaus to provide towing services to the city as described in the agreement.
This agreement is the result of a Request For Proposal (RFP) process that was conducted this fall. The city posted the RFP and contacted area towing companies requesting response for towing service proposals. Raider Automotive LLC dba Valley Autohaus and Rex Towing were the only respondents. Following the evaluation criteria set forth in the Request For Proposal (RFP), Raider Automotive LLC dba Valley Autohaus was selected to recommend to council.
The agreement has a duration of three years, January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2028. Payments will be made monthly on an as needed basis. Many of the payments are made by vehicle owners who have their vehicle towed as a result of police action, some examples are an impaired driving arrest, a vehicle blocking traffic as the result of a crash, a snow emergency, or other parking restrictions.
General tows, such as those of a motorist assist, are handled according to the business’s towing fee schedule and there is no expense to the city.
This agreement is essentially a continuation of the prior contract services which Raider Automotive LLC dba Valley Autohaus has been providing over the past four years. The Northfield City Attorney has reviewed and approved the agreement. City staff recommends approval of this agreement.
Alternative Options:
The alternative to this option is to not enter into a contract. Staff does not recommend this course of action as it is detrimental organizational operational efficiency, as the City does not have towing equipment or an impound facility.
Financial Impacts:
Towing services are already included in annual department budgeting, and are generally just a few thousand dollars. Some of these expenses for forfeiture vehicles are offset by forfeited vehicle sale proceeds, and some of these expenses are paid for by the vehicle owners.
Tentative Timelines:
After approval, the agreement will be effective January 1, 2026.