City says concession lease with Carson is settled, despite allegations

SOAP LAKE — Allegations were raised during a recent Soap Lake City Council meeting that Council Member Susan Carson owes unpaid rent related to a concession stand lease she held with the city. However, city records and interviews with current and former city officials present conflicting accounts and city staff say Carson does not have an outstanding balance. 

Allegations 

The allegations were raised during the April 1, 2026, Soap Lake City Council meeting, when resident Lori White said Carson voted to approve the concession stand lease while sitting on council and did not recuse herself. 

“I also asked for the minutes for the original vote to be checked to see if Susan recused herself for that,” White said during public comment. 

White alleged Carson made only five payments toward the lease and still owes money to the city. She also claimed the lease was terminated early, without proper cause. 

“The lease clearly states the lease can be terminated because of state or local health emergencies, which rodent infestation is a local health emergency, but the rats were there because food was left out,” White said. 

White asked what steps the city planned to take to collect unpaid rent and damages she alleged were caused by a rodent infestation. 

“I will be submitting this to the prosecuting attorney’s office of Grant County, along with the State Auditor’s Office,” White said. “I ask that Susan resign, effective immediately.” 

White sent a follow-up formal complaint via email on April 2 to council, Mayor Peter Sharp and City Clerk Coley Olson detailing her complaint and asking that it would be entered into the official record.  

“This situation creates the clear appearance of special privilege and unequal treatment,” White wrote. “It is not the way our city should be governed.”  

Shooting Star Concessions lease 

According to public records obtained from the City of Soap Lake, Carson contacted the city June 10, 2022, expressing interest in taking over the concession stand at East Smokiam Beach. That correspondence was later re-filed in city records on March 25, 2026.  

In the letter, Carson requested that the first month’s rent be excused in exchange for making repairs to electrical and plumbing issues within the building. Under the proposed terms, she would then pay $200 per month for a three-year lease. 

A contract reflecting those terms was drafted and approved by the Soap Lake City Council on Sept. 7, 2022, according to meeting minutes. The motion was carried unanimously, with votes from council members Bill Bratton, Kayleen Bryson, Allen DuPuy, JoAnne Rushton, Kat Sanderson and Leslie Taylor. Then-Mayor Michelle Agliano signed the contract on Aug. 30, 2022. 

Carson was not a member of the city council at the time. She was elected to council in November 2023 when she ran unopposed.  

Contract termination 

Carson terminated the lease effective April 1, 2025, approximately four months before the contract was scheduled to end. She stated the termination was done in accordance with the contract’s terms, citing the condition of the building and a lack of cooperation in addressing issues that prevented her from operating the stand. 

Under the agreement, Carson could terminate the lease with 30 days’ written notice if operating the concession stand became infeasible due to a state or local health or safety emergency. 

Carson said a mouse and rat infestation made it impossible to continue operating the facility. She disputed claims that the infestation was caused by improper food storage, stating that food was kept in sealed plastic containers and was still damaged by rodents. 

Payment records 

According to records provided by the city, documentation exists for five lease payments: $200 paid on May 15, 2023; April 2, 2024; June 20, 2024; Sept. 9, 2024; and May 28, 2025. 

On April 7, 2026, former mayor Allen DuPuy — who served after Agliano resigned — submitted a letter to be included in city records explaining aspects of the concession stand finances. In the letter, DuPuy stated that the city did not receive rent for April 2023. At that time, Agliano was mayor. 

“Susan explained that she had spoken with Mayor Agliano and that the city had failed in their obligation to open the park restrooms,” DuPuy wrote. “She had indicated that Mayor Agliano had forgiven the lease payment for the month of April 2023.” 

DuPuy said he later spoke with Agliano, who confirmed that information. 

“I felt I had to honor that commitment, wrote notes to that effect and place them in the concession stand lease file,” DuPuy wrote. 

Those notes, however, were not located at the time of the Columbia Basin Herald’s public records request. 

DuPuy previously told the Columbia Basin Herald that, at the time of his resignation, Carson owed some back rent but the city was working with her while she was hospitalized out of town. 

“During that time, Susan had sent some people in with cash money to take care of the lease, while she was in the hospital,” DuPuy said. 

He did not directly handle the payments regarding the Shooting Star Concession stand, he said. Carson said she had paid those months, but there was no documentation in city files.  

“We don’t have receipts. I don’t know what happened there,” DuPuy said.  

On Dec. 17, 2024, DuPuy emailed council members and Sharp stating the city had not received all payments owed for 2023 and 2024. 

“As appointed mayor, you are tasked with overseeing contracts,” DuPuy wrote. “As council you are tasked with oversight to see that this gets done. These documents were received on 12.17.2024. If, by chance, these records are incomplete, accept my apologies in advance.” 

Sharp replied later that day. 

“Please be advised Susan has made a payment plan with the City,” Sharp wrote.  

City’s current position 

City Attorney Julie Norton said in an April 2 email to the Columbia Basin Herald that Sharp had previously confirmed to her there is no money owed for the concession stand. 

“In his words, the matter had been fully resolved,” Norton wrote. 

Three days earlier, Norton emailed Sharp requesting confirmation that the matter had been closed and asked him to provide written confirmation if documentation could not be located for preservation of public records. As of April 22, no response had been provided, according to public records. Sharp did not respond to requests for comment prior to press time. 

Despite missing documentation, both Olson and Deputy Clerk Tania Babak confirmed that the account shows no outstanding balance. 

“She does not have an outstanding balance,” Babak said. “Her balance is zero.” 

It is still unclear where records went and how lease payments were handled over multiple city administrations. 

    At the April 1 regularly scheduled Soap Lake City Council meeting, citizen Lori White made allegations, saying Council Member Susan Carson owes the City of Soap Lake money for the concession stand lease Carson had with the city.