Story by Rodger Nichols for Gorge Country Media
The majority of last night’s Goldendale City Council meeting was taken up with a 2nd quarter budget update by Sarah Kazcmarek from the Vancouver-based CPA firm hired by the city. Councilor Danielle Clevidence asked for the report to show more detail, especially for amounts over $500,000.
“We want to know what it’s exactly for and the other and miscellaneous, no matter what the cost is, we’d like to know exactly what it is for.”
Other councilors agreed, and changes will be made in time for council members to have the figures for 2026 budget deliberations.
Rick Lundin reported on the airport, which has been developing a master plan and negotiating with neighboring landowners. In response to a question about revenue from aviation gas sales, he said
“If you look at the budget, it looks like we’re spending a lot of money on fuel and not getting anything back. I don’t know how it gets into the budget, but the reality of it is, we’re making a buck a gallon, and we’ll keep it that way.”
But the surprise of the night came from Diana Adams, who had serious concerns about actions involving the incubator clinic, which was built to nurture startup businesses until they could go out on their own.
“We received a letter from the attorney that we are going to be evicted if we don’t strongarm into signing this lease that is a full industrial commercial lease that makes us responsible for all the plumbing in the building, all the electricity, all the HVAC. That is not what the economic – excuse me – the incubator is.”
She also claimed her business has lost $1 million in contracts and had to lay people off due to problems at the industrial park.
The mayor will meet with her and the attorney to get further information on the situation.
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