Remember the $800 towing bill that Danny Westneat's been trying to prevent from happening again?

Today Councilman Nick Licata and Mayor Mike McGinn got into the action, proposing a cap on fees for towing a vehicle from private property in Seattle:

Standard impounds will be capped at $156.75, and storage rates are limited to $15.50 for up to 12 hours.

Also proposed by the mayor and Licata: background checks for tow truck operators, workers available 24 hours a day to release an impounded vehicle, and a complaint investigation procedure for instances when, say, an $800 towing bill pops up again.

It's a good start, but it's just a start; the council will have to consider and approve these new regulations first. Still, McGinn—whose press conference on towing fees got shoved off the Seattle Channel by today's arena news—is trying to make the most of this chance to talk about protecting car drivers. He says:

This proposal protects Seattle visitors and residents from predatory towing fee policies. After performing extensive outreach to all stakeholders, we believe it is fair to all parties, including towing operators. I thank Councilmember Licata for his work on this proposal and look forward to Council action to make this proposal the law.