Rimbey town council has not changed its mind about asking for a refund from a company who owns a marketing magazine although representatives did their best to sway them at last Monday’s council meeting.
Erwin Jack and Brian Graham with TNC Publications want to go ahead and publish the magazine designed to promote the town, despite the fact the publication was supposed to be published over a year ago.
A total of $1,395 was paid by the town in November of last year, several months after TNC’s promised publishing deadline of June.
This July, despite the fact the deadline was long past due, Erwin Jack, marketing director for TNC Publishing Group approached Lucien Cloutier, the new CAO for the Town of Rimbey, asking for an additional $1,400 so the magazine could be bumped from eight to 12 pages.
Brian Graham, who spoke at the meeting, said publication was delayed because town representatives did not get the editorial content to them. He said the editorial content in the magazine was dependent upon submitted copy which they did not receive.
“This has been delayed and delayed,” he said.
Graham said copy was supposed to have been received from former recreation director Rick Kreklewich, and later, Peter Stenstrom, who took over from Kreklewich and has since also moved on.
While Graham did his best to lay the blame for the delay in printing with town employees, Mayor Rick Pankiw refused to budge on the town’s original request to get its money back.
“With all due respect this has gone on way too long and we are not satisfied. We want our money back.”
Jackie Stratton, president of Rimbey and District Chamber of Commerce said the eight-page magazine did not meet the needs of the community.
She had notified the magazine representatives earlier that all the Rimbey businesses that had put money up front for advertising in the publication should have their money refunded.
After the meeting, Stratton said lack of communication was at the root of the problem, and the company had made no promises regarding refunds to local businesses.
TNC Publications representatives did not promise to return the money to council when they left the meeting, although councillors unanimously voted in favor of requesting a refund.
CAO Lucien Cloutier has adopted a ‘wait and see’ attitude regarding the issue.
“It remains to be seen,” he said. “We have sent them an invoice.”
He said the matter was referred to the RCMP earlier as the company did not produce the magazine when promised.