Agency on Aging building project shelved

Two of the three Flathead County commissioners voted Wednesday to pull the plug on a Community Development Block Grant application that, if approved, would have given the county $450,000 toward a new Agency on Aging facility.

The decision was made in front of a room full of senior citizens waving signs saying, “We want AOA at the fairgrounds” and “Let the seniors be heard.”

With no discussion, Commissioners Pam Holmquist and Gary Krueger voted not to go forward with the grant application, while commissioner Cal Scott opposed that plan.

The Gateway Community Center, where United Way and many of its member agencies are located, gave up its block-grant slot to allow the county to seek the grant money. The slot belongs to the city of Kalispell, which had set a May 6 public hearing on the application to meet a May 17 deadline.

The commissioners decided in early January to pursue the block grant even though they hadn’t selected a site for a new facility. Last week county grantwriter Debbie Pierson told the commissioners the application scoring could be reduced if the recommended site wasn’t backed by the commissioners.

The county spent about $4,000 to have an architect review two county sites: a 2-acre tract north of the fairgrounds and a smaller site south of the courthouse campus.

United Way Director Sherry Stevens voiced her disappointment after the commissioners’ vote.

“We gave up our slot to support the Agency on Aging,” she said. “We’re concerned it’s too late now for any organization to take the slot. It’s a grave concern.”

Stevens added that United Way and the Gateway Community Center will continue to support the senior community in finding a location for a bigger facility.

Holmquist proposed the idea of backing away from the grant application. There are still too many unanswered questions, she said, and she wants to complete the budget process for the coming fiscal year before moving forward with the building proposal.

“Since the proposal was introduced to the commission last October, there has been a concerted effort to influence how the commission would move forward with AOA,” Holmquist said, reading from prepared comments. “This effort has included threats and rumors. I will not allow these distractions to interfere with my decisions as I work through this.”

Holmquist reminded the crowd she represents not only the senior population but citizens of all ages.

While the commissioners have struggled with how to proceed with building a new facility for the county’s aging services, they seemed to hit a bump in the road last week when a preliminary architectural review, based on a set of scoring criteria, recommended the site north of the fairgrounds as the preferred location for a new Agency on Aging facility.

Krueger said he prefers building south of the courthouse campus and Holmquist never officially weighed in with her preference, though she said earlier this week that both sites have merit.

After Wednesday’s vote, Holmquist said she wants the commissioners to review the county’s projections for capital improvement projects. “I think AOA will score high,” she said.

Holmquist also noted the county may have additional financial mandates from the state legislative session that is wrapping up this week.

She said she “feels terrible” that the decision not to pursue the grant will short-change other groups who wanted the slot.

Former Commissioner Dale Lauman told the commissioners during a public-comment session Wednesday that he personally feels the site north of the fairgrounds is the best site.

“We’ve always had the funds available to do this,” Lauman said. “I’d never support anything where we’d have to go to the taxpayers for money.”

The county has a couple of funding options for the project beyond a block grant.

More than $2 million could be used from the county’s share of payment in lieu of taxes (federal payments made to local governments to offset property tax losses due to non-taxable federal lands). A low-interest Intercap loan through the Montana Board of Investments is another option.

The county currently rents the Agency on Aging building on Kelly Road on a month-to-month basis for $4,360 a month. Holmquist said she believes that month-to-month arrangement will continue for now, but she doesn’t anticipate committing to a longer lease with Alpine Business Center.

Seniors attending Wednesday’s meeting were hugely disappointed with the commissioners’ decision. Every person who testified favored the site north of the fairgrounds.

“They’re not listening to the people,” Dawn Schnur said afterwards.

Dodie Wise of Kalispell said the current facility is too small to conduct fundraisers that could help offset the costs of operating the Agency on Aging programs.

Gerry Banzet said he can’t find a good reason why the commissioners keep stalling on the project.

“How much time and money has been wasted?” Banzet asked. “Look at how much we’re wasting every month for the rent. They [the commissioners] have denied personal political favors, but actions speak louder than words.”

Banzet scoffed at Holmquist’s remark that she knows it’s a “highly emotional” issue.

“There would be no reason for it to be emotional if they would’ve taken care of this,” he said.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com