From left, Wallowa County Commissioners Lisa Collier and John Hillock address the audience during their meeting May 21, 2025, at the courthouse in Enterprise. (Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain)

ENTERPRISE — Three ordinances dealing with waste management received their first readings May 21 when the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners met in Enterprise. The proposals call for fines of $500 per day per violation.

Planning Director Franz Goebel submitted the ordinances, which define public nuisances, be they trash, buildings or equipment in a variety of categories, particularly solid waste.

They include an accumulation of solid waste and any unsanitary condition that injures or endangers the health, safety and welfare of others; an open septic tank; inoperable, broken, defective or unpermitted on-site septic system; and dangerous buildings or structures.

The proposals for local laws also designate who is to enforce them at the discretion of the county board. The ordinances include exceptions reasonable for farming, forestry and mining under state and local law. Another exception is material in an authorized landfill.

The ordinances state it is the county’s purpose to achieve voluntary compliance with little or no penalty but can carry fines of $500 per day per violation.

Any violations of the ordinances are civil and not criminal. The board of commissioners may appoint a decision-maker or serve as the decision-maker. The new local laws would allow the county board to authorize an enforcement officer and provide a way to file or waive the right to file an appeal of a citation on the citation form.

Another ordinance that got a first reading was for onsite wastewater treatment systems such as septic systems.

The county has, in the past, relied on the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for such service, but DEQ has been lax in that service, Commissioner John Hillock said.

Wallowa County will work with Harney County to provide such service so contractors are not kept in limbo waiting for inspections DEQ would normally cover.

The ordinances are available to the public on the county’s website. A second reading will take place at the commissioners’ next meeting.

Fairgrounds

The commissioners also heard a report from Grants Manager Caprice Locke on the completion of the arena project at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds. The project started in 2021.

“It’s been a long haul,” Hillock said.

The grant that paid for the arena was for $277,777.

“We spent all but $78 on the project,” Locke said. “We put it to good use. … It has been completed and I got the letter saying so.”

In other business, the commissioners:

• Heard and awarded a bid for asphalt oil at the request of the road department. Hillock said the bid came in at 500 tons for $587.50 a ton. It’s to be used to chip seal county roads.

Considered an intergovernmental agreement for Managing Oregon Resources Efficiently. MORE promotes the cost-effective cooperation between governmental departments.

• Approved a funding request for $3,000 to Wallowa Resources for the Woodlands and Watershed Festival held at the fairgrounds.

• Declared two pickups as surplus property that can be sold: a 1984 C-30 and a 2002 ¾-ton Chevrolet.

• Approved an easement request by Avalon Zokovsky of Ziply Fiber for an overlash to an existing strand on Eggleson Lane and Williamson Lane and Dorrance Road, as we;; as easements requested by for aerial and underground build on Storie Street in Wallowa and aerial work along Reavis Lane near Enterprise.

• Approved easement requests from the Asotin Telephone Co. for fiber optic placements on Redmond Grade Lane and First Avenue/Main Street of the Troy Road and Eden Lane near Troy, as well as on Lost

• Rescheduled the June 4 meeting for June 11 as Collier won’t be available June 4.