Incubator tenant says electrical outage and lease dispute stifled business; requests council intervention

Diana Adams, who identified herself as managing fabrication at the city’s incubator building, urged the Goldendale City Council to review a long-running contract dispute between the city and incubator tenants. Adams said power to her incubator unit was shut off on Aug. 31, 2024, restored May 1, 2025, and that the outage and subsequent lease dispute harmed her business’s contracts and hiring. “We have been hindered this whole time,” Adams said.

Adams said she and her business complied with requirements and submitted a business plan in February; she said negotiations with the city about making leases uniform led to a July–August period in which the incubator tenants could not operate. She told the council she had lost “over a million dollars in contracts” during the outage period and that since power returned she had secured more than $100,000 in new contracts. Adams described receiving a letter from the city attorney warning of eviction if she did not sign a lease she characterized as a standard industrial commercial lease that makes tenants responsible for plumbing, HVAC and electricity costs.

Adams asked the council to review the negotiation history and the attorney’s letters and recommended a private meeting so she could present voluminous supporting documents. She said the incubator was intended to support start-ups and local hiring and that the current lease terms contradicted that purpose.

City Administrator Sandy Wells told the council the city attorney had reviewed the request for an executive session and concluded the incubator contract issue did not qualify for an executive session as defined by state law; the attorney mailed a letter explaining that determination to the tenants. Mayor Mary and councilmembers said they wanted more information and suggested staff schedule a meeting with Adams and appropriate staff and the attorney to go over the documents in detail. The council did not take formal action during the meeting; members suggested a follow-up meeting outside the council chamber to review the records Adams offered to provide.

Adams left handouts with council and reiterated her request that the city allow incubator tenants to operate under the previously negotiated terms once power was restored so tenants were not further disadvantaged. Council members asked staff to arrange a detailed follow-up meeting with Adams and to bring the council any relevant contract history or attorney correspondence for review in closed or open session as legally required.