The vintage 1934 pickup truck that was supposed to be a Rimbey parade feature has been parked indefinitely.
Rimbey town council voted to sell the 1934 International Model C pickup truck at its Dec.12 council meeting.
The previous council spent slightly more than $48,000 on the vintage truck including the $16,500 purchase price about three years ago.
When the existing council was sworn in October 2010, Rimbey Mayor Sheldon Ibbotson said the truck was found in pieces spread out between two mechanic shops near Sylvan Lake and in Rimbey.
The truck parts have been moved to storage in Rimbey.
“To prepare it, to get it road ready, the estimate is between $10,000 and $20,000 for the mechanical and body work needed,” said Ibbotson.
“At this point it seems not to be a good idea to put another $10,000 or $20,000 into a vehicle that has already cost us $48,000.”
Town council has asked administration to get the best value for the buck whether it is selling it in pieces or all together. The money from the sale has not been earmarked.
Ibbotson said if as little as $1,000 was spent on one or two trucks in Rimbey’s Smithson International Truck Museum then it would be parade ready in no time.
Last year the museum added close to 10 new pieces including trucks and tractors.
Councillor Joe Anglin said there comes a time when you have to take responsibility for taxpayers dollars.
“This one was a sinkhole of money,” said Anglin. “We just have to cut our losses.”
Anglin said town council cannot in good conscience spend another dollar on the truck.
“We just can’t in good conscience spend another dollar on this,” said Anglin. “We look at what we spent so far.”
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com