All communications with the railway management company Omega will now go through the town of North Judson rather than Hoosier Valley Railroad, according to Town Council President Wendy Hoppe.
Hoppe explained that Omega is the company responsible for the billing and collection services for residents who utilize anything that runs under the town’s railroad, “Anything that runs underneath, be it an irrigation line, be it a power line, be it a drainage tile.” Hoppe said, “Omega was billing them and taking care of all that.”
At the last few North Judson town council meetings, President Hoppe mentioned that she was contacted by a couple of different local farmers in the North part of town who reported very steep increases in their rates.
When she looked into the issue, an Omega representative said that the company’s billing department was authorized to implement increases in areas where it was deemed necessary. The representative explained that when they did not receive any responses from Hoosier Valley after more than five attempts to contact them through email, Omega carried forward with the increases.
Hoppe was also told by Rich Warner with Hoosier Valley that no one currently mans the company’s email account. For that reason, Hoppe requested for all future correspondence to go through the town. She said Omega agreed to that and also said they would return the farmers’ rates to their previous standing for the time being.
Hoppe also said that Warner asked to be taken off as Hoosier Valley’s town council representative. She said she has considered asking them to appoint someone but added that it may not be necessary with the newly established railroad committee. Councilman John Rowe said it would be useful to have another Hoosier Valley representative appointed so they can receive updates.
