The Flathead County commissioners on Wednesday agreed to continue their pursuit of a $450,000 federal grant for a new Agency on Aging building — but declined to pass a motion putting their intentions officially on the record.

The county plans to submit a proposal to the city of Kalispell to use the city’s 2013 slot for a Community Development Block Grant. County grant writer Deb Pierson said she has been in touch with Kalispell Community Development Manager Katharine Thompson, but doesn’t know yet how the process will unfold.

A public hearing would be required and the county would need to move quickly in working with Kalispell because of a projected April grant application deadline.

Ultimately the decision lies with the Kalispell City Council whether or not to play host to the county’s application.

The construction of Intermountain’s Providence Home near Somers is taking the county’s block-grant allotment this year.

Commissioner Cal Scott made a motion to begin the process of a city-affiliated grant application for an Agency on Aging facility to be built on county property.

Commissioner Gary Krueger countered, saying a motion is “hollow” and not needed because the commissioners’ intentions already are clear.

Krueger said he’s had “many passionate discussions” with Agency on Aging Director Lisa Sheppard about expanding aging services and supports those efforts.

But, he added, “we may find down the road that it’s not the best time to ask for a grant.”

Commissioner Pam Holmquist agreed with Krueger, saying the county’s demonstration of support for an Agency on Aging facility doesn’t need official action.

Krueger and Holmquist voted down Scott’s recommendation.

The commissioners took testimony from many Agency on Aging supporters, including Jenna Justice of Frontier Hospice, who said it’s time for the county to put the infrastructure of a building in place to handle a growing aging population.

Holmquist addressed the group, saying sometimes the wheels of government turn slowly and stressing her support for the proposed agency expansion.

“The rumors that we’re not supporting this are false,” she said. “We don’t know what it [a new Agency on Aging building] will look like, and whether it will be at the fairgrounds is still up in the air.”

Scott disagreed with the other two commissioners, stating “there’s no legitimate reason not to pursue” formal action for the grant application.

“If we don’t succeed then we have the framework in place for the next [grant] cycle,” Scott said. “Moving forward is a matter of record.”

Scott unsuccessfully attempted two other motions to document the commissioners’ intentions, but was shot down both times.

One motion would have created a committee to establish a plan for the Agency on Aging facility within four months.

The other motion would have set aside $2 million by October 2014 from the county’s share of payments in lieu of taxes (federal payments made to local governments to offset property tax losses due to non-taxable federal lands).

The Area IX Advisory Council on Aging recently was told about numerous safety hazards at the current Agency on Aging facility, a building on Kelly Road in Kalispell the county leases for $52,000 a year from Alpine Business Center, a partnership that includes Charles and Mickey Lapp.

Last October a proposal surfaced to build a new metal building on the north end of the county fairgrounds that could house not only the Agency on Aging but also the Extension Service, 4-H program and Kalispell Senior Center.

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