ENTERPRISE — A Lostine man who tried to prevent Wallowa County from granting permission for Dollar General to build on the outskirts of Wallowa still wants to hold the county commissioners accountable for that decision.

Michael Eng said he realizes “it’s hard to put the horse back in the barn,” but he still wants the county to acknowledge it made some errors in granting its permission.

Dollar General has been operating in Wallowa since April. Eng and other county residents appealed the county’s approval of such a “formula store” being able to build and operate in the county, a rarity in a county where most businesses are locally owned.

The commissioners denied the appeal Oct. 31 and imposed conditions that comply with state land-use law.

Another appellant, Sweyn Wall of Wallowa, emphasized those conditions, particularly related to traffic controls. Since Dollar General is on the corner of Highway 82 and a frontage road and has only one entrance for traffic — near a school bus stop — local residents have expressed concerns that delivery trucks going into Dollar General could pose a traffic hazard.

Wall mentioned this, a proposed sidewalk and a traffic-control line on the highway. He asked if the commissioners were in communication with Dollar General about completing these traffic-control projects.

Commissioner John Hillock said that to his knowledge, no such communication had taken place, but he agreed it would be appropriate. He said he’d call Dollar General’s attorney and find out what can be done, particularly in working with the Oregon Department of Transportation, since it’s along a state highway.

Eng said the county did not comply with a legal obligation to open the issue for public review, but Hillock said he has discussed it with the county’s legal counsel and believes the county did, in fact, comply with the review process.

Hillock expressed his frustration with Eng and his repeated complaints, the most recent being that the county’s land-use ordinances don’t comply with state law.

“This is a direct hit on you, but we’ve had three of these appeals in the last 10 years, and all of them have been from you,” Hillock said. “So the general public doesn’t have that big a problem with our processes. And that’s what I want you to know, that we have to act on things that larger groups of people come and complain about. Now, I’m not saying we aren’t going to act on this. We’ve, I’ve taken the initial steps to act on this. I started the process the day after you brought the complaint, and we’re working diligently on coming up with a solution.”

Hillock said he intends to investigate to find out where any inconsistencies between county ordinances and state law exist.

“We want to … try to figure out where our problems may be, if we have any, and proceed that way,” he said. “Like I say, you’re the only person in 10 years that has raised this complaint out of a citizenry of 7,000 people. … It doesn’t mean you’re right. … Thank you for your time. I appreciate it, and we’re still friends.”

Other business

• In another matter, Paige Sully, speaking on behalf of Wallowa County Search and Rescue, requested the commissioners approve a shared-well agreement with Double Arrow Veterinary Clinic. The county and Double Arrow own land along Highway 3 on the north side of Enterprise, and the SAR unit hopes to move a trailer into the area for its equipment. The commissioners approved the agreement.

• Approved intergovernmental agreements between the Wallowa County Assessor’s Office and the city of Joseph, the Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services and Alder Slope Cemetery.

• Adopted an interfund transfer of $39,995 in federal funds to the county’s general fund.

• Approved employee action notices hiring Gail Tally as temporary extra help for the county treasurer and Sawyer Wick as a new reserve deputy with the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office.

• Approved two changes to meeting dates. There will be a special commissioners meeting Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m. to discuss the ballot measure requiring the commissioners to consider the county’s best interests and prepare it to become a county of Idaho. Also, the commissioners’ first meeting in March will be March 12 at 9 a.m.