PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Tensions at a Tuesday Port Arthur City Council meeting were high between wrecker drivers who took the podium and council members.
The tow truck drivers are upset about a city ordinance that forbids them from parking their wreckers in their driveways. City leaders believe the ordinance is necessary.
Allen Valka is a wrecker driver who owns Opie's Towing & Transport. He said since it is his driveway, he feels he should be able to use it how he wants.
"We are not just a tow truck hauling junk around,” Valka said. “We are a wrecker service serving the citizens of Port Arthur."
Valka feels the ordinance is doing more harm than good. He believes it not only impacts drivers' response times, but it also negatively affects safety on Port Arthur roads.
“But to slow us down like this is to slow down traffic is slowing down citizens' safety,” Valka said.
City leaders made an addition to an already existing ordinance, which prohibits tow truck drivers from parking their work vehicles outside of their homes. Mayor Thurman Bartie said this will help the image of Port Arthur.
“Not allow the parking of specific types of vehicles, basically being wreckers and other type vehicles, within the residential districts of their municipalities," Mayor Bartie said. "All we are doing, we are trying to upgrade the city of Port Arthur.”
City leaders said they have received a lot of complaints and are not trying to hurt anyone's livelihood. However, Valka is not convinced.
“They are stopping us from trying to keep our tow trucks at our house because of the fact that it's not very pretty, and it's an environmental hazard. It's not,” Valka said. "We are out there 24/7, 365 days a year.”
As of right now, Valka has not been cited. The tow truck drivers plan to speak to city council again.