Boulder City to debate children’s, vets’ homes

Monday, May 12, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- While some lawmakers ponder whether to close the state children's home in Boulder City, state officials are looking at the city as the possible location for a $19 million veterans home.

Both issues could come to a head this week.

On Tuesday, state Public Works Board Manager Eric Raecke is set to go before the Boulder City Council to see if it would be willing to provide land for the veterans home.

"I want to see if Boulder City has an appetite for this project," said Raecke, who has scouted three possible locations on the western edge of the city south of Las Vegas.

Gov. Bob Miller has included $6.7 million in his budget as the state's financial contribution for the project, and the location originally was set for Nellis Air Force Base, next to the Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital on the base.

But the Air Force balked and offered another parcel farther away. The Senate Finance Committee examined the new location and said it was unacceptable. It was described as a junkyard by some committee members.

The search began anew for a location and Raecke says any one of the three sites owned by Boulder City would "fit perfectly" with the state's needs. There is easy access to the freeway at the three sites and they are close to Boulder City Hospital, he said.

Chuck Abbott, the state's veterans affairs commissioner, said some private land has been examined that is close to downtown Las Vegas. And Nellis has offered another location that he called "very promising."

Even with the delays in finding a location, Abbott says there's an "excellent chance" the Legislature will put up the money for the 180-bed home. The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department has determined that any site in Clark County would qualify as accessible to medical care, Abbott said.

Raecke said the new location offered by Nellis is near Fifth Street and Craig Road.

Meanwhile, a Senate Assembly budget subcommittee should get more information from the state Division of Child and Family Services this week on the future of the Boulder City Children's Home.

Division Chief Ken Patterson told the subcommittee last Thursday that if the human factor is not considered, "in economic terms, we can find a more cost-effective program."

There are currently only 40 children in the cottages. And there are a growing number of private, nonprofit group-care businesses in Clark County. In addition, he said, most of the children could be placed in foster care.

It's costing the state $73 a day for each youngster committed by the state to the home, which is run by the Volunteers of America organization. And Volunteers of America is six months behind in its $6,252 a month rent to the state.

The property, when the state took it over close to 30 years ago, was on the edge of Boulder City. Now, Patterson said, it's in the middle of an "affluent, sensitive neighborhood."

"Boulder City doesn't want us to put a tougher child in the center," Patterson said. And he said the state is losing a lot of money on the venture.

Assemblywoman Jan Evans, D-Sparks, said the buildings have been deteriorating.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, suggested the state has these three options:

* Spend a lot of money on an expensive refurbishing and then run it full bore.

* Close half the cottages and have the state or a private contractor run it.

* Phase out the program.

Assemblyman Lynn Hettrick, R-Minden, said the "model for taking care of these children has changed." He said children are no longer segregated, rather, they are "put in the world."

"I know this may offend O'Callaghan," said Hettrick, referring to former Gov. Mike O'Callaghan, under whose administration the home came into being. O'Callaghan is now executive editor of the Las Vegas SUN. "But he would be the first one to say, 'Take care of the kids.'"

It would cost $1 million to restore all the cottages, and maintenance at the facility would run about $19,000 a month, Hettrick said. Gov. Miller has included $431,000 in his budget for repairs to heating, air conditioning and fire alarm units in addition to other improvements.

O'Callaghan has objected to any closure of the Boulder City home, as he did when Miller shut down the Children's Home in Carson City. When the home in Carson City was closed, O'Callaghan said many of the youngsters ran away from the foster homes where they were transferred.

One problem in placing children outside the home is there may be two, three or four brothers or sisters in a family. They should not be split up, O'Callaghan says.

Patterson said his boss, state Human Resources Director Charlotte Crawford, would be meeting with the Boulder City Council on Tuesday to discuss the home's future.