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Has anyone heard anything new on the dispute between the City of Fresno, California and Amtrak? It seems that Fresno had some spare change that was burning a hole in their pocket, so they decided to renovate the old Santa Fe passenger station that Amtrak had abandoned thirty years ago in favor of using the adjacent freight building for it's passenger ticketing. Apparently the City of Fresno acquired the abandoned building by some means that I'm not aware of. According to local newspaper reports, the city was the contractor that then sub contracted the renovation work to real contractors. How in the name of reason the city could figure out a way for a new tile roof, a fresh coat of stucco, some new lighting, a dozen fifty foot palm trees, and an outdoor clock that is so ornate with wrought iron that it is impossible to tell the time could possibly cost so much tax payer's money Since the station was being renovated, Amtrak requested a few minor modifications to the interior of the station, such as a ticket counter with recesses for their ticketing computers and some indoor customer seating, which Amtrak agreed to pay the city $ 650,000 and Fresno included in the renovation process. Three years and six and a half million dollars later, the station was the center of attention as Mayor Alan Autry ( Bubba from 'In The Heat Of The Night') and other city dignitaries patted each other on the back for a job well done. The only problem was that Amtrak hadn't paid the $650,000 that Fresno thought was a fair price for the ticket counter and a half dozen solid oak benches for the use of future customers of Amtrak. Amtrak countered by stating that the money had been included in their 2002 budget and that they had, on three occasions since then, requested an invoice from the city so that the monies could be paid. Since Fresno neglected to send a bill to Amtrak for the money that they felt they were owed, the unused monies were reverted to the federal government. The result is that instead of leasing the station back to Amtrak for a dollar a year, the city now refuses to allow Amtrak to occupy the station until the money has been paid to the city. Having inspected the renovated station on several occasions, the two story structure appears quite attractive from the outside, but most of the interior is as it was when constructed at the end of the 19th century. As it is, the only occupants enjoying the seven plus million dollar project are a handful of pigeons that have found nesting places under the eaves of the new tile roof. And the beat goes on.....
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