After comments by

• Anchor Towing’s Dan Hunt,
• his attorney William Hellyer,
• Jim Olson from Olson Collision, with locations in Harvard, Woodstock, Crystal Lake and Cary,
• his brother Pete Olson form Olson Autobody from Johnsburg,
• Huntley’s All-Star Towing and
• Colleen Smith of C & M Towing out of Union, the only firm who paid the $900 for the business license to perform relocation towing in favor of rescinding the Illinois Commerce Regulations,

the county board voted unanimously to repeal its towing ordinance.

One person, Laurie Cwerenz, a lady from Johnsburg, spoke in favor of keeping the ordinance. She said her car got removed by Cougar Recovery, headquartered in Lake Barrington. She said the tow bill was $240, but the company caused $2,500 to $3,000 in damage because of improper towing technique. She said there was no recourse, apparently not knowing that a civil lawsuit might have been a possibility.

Making the repeal motion was ordinance sponsor Nick Provenzano.

“After the vote,” Dan Hunt told me. “I stood there and tried to shake everyone’s hand. A simple ‘Thank you’ for looking at this for what it was.”

Also in attendance was State Senator Pam Althoff. She explained the history of the bill and apologized to Provenzano and to Randy Donley for having not known all the details of the bill. Apparently both county board members asked the right questions, but Althoff had been misinformed of the implications of the law.

Althoff said a revised bill has been drafted, but seemed to imply that current state law would adequately protect county residents.