Almost three months after receiving a troublesome $85,000 bill from Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) the town is still trying to get a meeting with the company to explain why it was sent in the first place.
In the meantime, the town has not given any money to CP, which town officials said in December, at the time of the 2014 budget process, could force a small tax increase onto local residents to pay for the unexpected bill.
Craig Teal, the town's director of planning and operational services, said he has been trying to find a date for a meeting that works for CP.
“I have talked further with them to find a date that works and to date we have not found a date that works,” said Teal, adding the town wants an explanation on why the town owes the money for the maintenance work that was done last year at the 49th Ave. rail crossing.
“It is always nice to resolve issues quicker but as long as the town does not have to pay until such time as we have had the chance to talk I am okay with a little bit more time to do it. Our understanding with them in our discussions is that they would not demand payment of that until such time they had a chance to answer some of our questions.”
Teal said discussions with the company earlier this year indicated the company was willing to agree that the town pay the $85,000 bill in small increments within the framework of a defined payment schedule but that proposal had not been finalized.
“I am not exactly sure what they had in mind but as of today (March 5) we have not sent them any money. It is getting a little long on the tooth on this one though,” said Teal.
Calls to CP officials by the Province on when the company hopes to meet the town to resolve the issue have not been immediately returned.
When CP sent its invoices to the town last December the town originally owed the rail company $162,100.38 for maintenance and repair work done at the 50th Street and 49th Avenue rail crossings.
However, before Christmas CP conceded the $75,000 bill for work done at the 50th Street crossing was sent in error and the company immediately cancelled it. CP and town officials hoped the issue of the outstanding $85,000 would be resolved early in the new year.
