Officials take action to rid city of abandoned vehicles

Tow away the junk vehicles before winter, a councilman urges.
YOUNGSTOWN -- City council wants to see abandoned cars, including those filled with trash, removed from neighborhoods quickly.
Councilmen Michael Rapovy, D-5th, and Rufus Hudson, D-2nd, told council's safety committee Wednesday that some tow truck operators balk at removing such cars, which have been red-tagged by city officials, when they contain large accumulations of garbage or debris.
Police Chief Robert Bush said he'll be working on an agreement with Ludt's Auto & amp; Truck Towing and Bob O's Towing, the two companies that regularly perform police-directed tows in the city.
He said he'd also try to work out a system under which the city street department could remove trash, when necessary, before an abandoned vehicle is towed.
"Most of the vehicles that we're towing, they're not new. They're not in the best of condition, but they are neighborhood eyesores. They do attract rats and other rodents, and we need to be able to move those vehicles,'' Hudson said.
Cleaning up
Hudson added that he'd like to take advantage of the remaining weeks before winter sets in to remove as many abandoned vehicles as possible from his ward.
After an inoperable or unlicensed vehicle is red-tagged by police or zoning officials, its owner has 10 days to fix, license or remove it, or the city will have it towed at the owner's expense.