Residents, Foundation Urge Flathead County to Buy Parkland Trail Site for New Kalispell Library; Commissioners Cite Budget Limits

Supporters of a new Kalispell library urged the Flathead County Commission to approve a $2,760,000 sidebar request so the county can purchase central property along the Parkland Trail being offered for $2,900,000.

The Flathead Library Foundation told the commission it would cover the remaining $140,000 if commissioners grant the full sidebar request, a move foundation leaders said is necessary to unlock private fundraising and significant grants for a new branch. "Without this foundational county investment in the land, securing the necessary level of private philanthropy and significant grants to make this project a reality will be exceedingly, if not impossible," said Sarah Bassi, executive director of the Flathead Library Foundation.

Why it matters: library leaders say buying the site now would clear the way for a combined public-private effort to build a larger, modern Kalispell branch that supporters say will advance literacy and serve families year-round. Commissioners pushed back on timing and funding, saying county capital is currently committed to a proposed new Flathead County Detention Center and that state funding uncertainty makes new county commitments difficult.

At the meeting, Melissa Wood, a Kalispell library patron and volunteer, described the branch as "a gathering place and a valuable resource" and urged the commission to invest in a larger, safer facility for children and families. Bassi told commissioners the foundation has invested more than $4,000,000 in local library projects over 35 years and said the foundation is prepared to pay the $140,000 difference between the county sidebar request and the seller's $2.9 million asking price.

Library staff and trustees described the fundraising plan and timeline in more detail. Terry Dagan, representing the library, said the library board has placed $20,000 into a future-branch fund this year and plans an additional $105,000 by June; overall the library reports about $145,000 currently in the future-library account. Bassi said the foundation expects private philanthropy and grant work to follow an upfront county land purchase, and that it would pursue most of the facility construction funding privately while the county would be expected to consider any long-term public funding mechanisms.

Commissioners said they sympathize with the library’s plans but raised two practical concerns. One commissioner noted a clause in the purchase paperwork that would require construction to commence within 36 months of closing and questioned whether a public-private project could meet that timeline. The same commissioner referenced Montana law and an Attorney General opinion about local taxing authority to emphasize that decisions about future county funding or levies would remain the commission’s discretion. Another commissioner said, "any commitment going forward from me is going to be towards that end" — referring to the detention center — and added, "I don't have any extra to give to the library." (Attributions to "Commissioner" are used where the transcript did not provide a full name.)

Library and foundation representatives also described a different timing detail in their materials: the library’s lease at its current location imposes a longer window for completing construction, a point the foundation said could allow the county to prioritize the land purchase now and defer building the facility within the lease timeline.

No vote or binding commitment on the land purchase occurred during the meeting. Commissioners asked staff and library representatives to continue coordinating; the foundation reiterated its intent to pursue private fundraising only if the county demonstrated a land-acquisition commitment that donors and grantors could rely upon.

The commission and library officials said they would continue discussions as budgets and state funding clarity develop, noting the county’s current capital focus on the detention center and broader uncertainty over state grant levels.

Ending: Library leaders said the community is ready to support a central, expanded Kalispell branch if the county secures the site; commissioners said they would consider the request alongside other county priorities as budget details become clearer.