Minneapolis wrongly tows cars

Street sweepers on University Avenue “goofed up” by towing cars without advanced notice on Friday morning to the dismay of dozens of people who parked along the unscheduled route.

Minneapolis is required to give residents a 24-hour notice when streets are plowed or swept, but the city failed to properly inform residents on Oct. 30. Minneapolis officials didn’t indicate how many cars were towed, but City Councilwoman Diane Hofstede’s office received upwards of 50 calls after the towings.

Mike Kennedy, director of transportation, maintenance and repairs for the Minneapolis Department of Public Works said the city did not post a street sweeping notice for University Avenue and will work with those who have “legitimate” cases to release their cars from the towing company without charges.

“In this particular case, the city made a mistake,” he said. “Nothing like this has happened in five years,” when the city implemented the sweeping towing policy.

Many residents complained that the signs are unrecognizable when it rains or snows.

Minneapolis resident Kimberly Mulroy was one of the people whose car was towed without warning.

“The signs blew away on Thursday night,” Mulroy said. “There needs to be a more proactive way of informing people when street sweeping occurs. The signs don’t work.”

Kennedy said the signs are federally mandated and cannot change. Minneapolis has adopted unique methods to inform residents that street sweeping will occur in the past, he said.

“We’ve painted the posts on the signs in neon colors before, but that is expensive for [the city],” he said. “Different methods like that don’t seem to do the job.”

Allen Kathir, a University alumnus who is running for City Council under the DFL ticket in Ward 3, has made improving parking a campaign platform.

He said the city needs better communication with its residents when parking becomes an issue.

“The city should advocate for students who don’t always know how to fight a parking violation,” Kathir said.

He said the city doesn’t keep students aware of ordinances such as street sweeping.

“It shouldn’t be hard to send e-mails to residents listing street sweeping schedules and times,” he said. “Students have such varied schedules that the city should make sure they are informed.”

Mulroy, who is Kathir’s girlfriend, said she already paid the towing fee and is now going to appeal it.

Hofstede said she will work with residents such as Mulroy throughout the appeal process. She said the city is responsible for failing to post street sweeping times on its Web site.

“Circumstances like this are rare,” she said. “Regardless, we will help those who were wronged.”

Mulroy said the length of the appeal process defers many residents from filing a claim.

“It’s incredibly time consuming, and often appeals aren’t granted,” she said. “But, I plan to fight this because it’s the city’s mistake, not mine.”

Kennedy said residents must watch for signs during the fall to avoid being towed.

“We’ve all been towed at some point,” he said. “The city isn’t out to get them. We recognize that we’ve set up a policy that causes confusion.”