City’s search for new MASH operator

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, April 18, 2002 | 9:57 a.m.

The city of Las Vegas will look for a new operator to run MASH Village, which could result in more services being offered for the mentally ill homeless population.

Less than a month after the Rev. Joe Carroll announced he was leaving Las Vegas because he was unable to meet the financial requirements of running the local shelter, the City Council directed staff to request proposals for interested operators. Staff would then negotiate with one or more service providers and develop a plan for the campus.

City officials were surprised at Carroll's announcement, but say it gives the city a chance to find an operator with a potentially different emphasis on providing homeless services, such as those for the mentally ill.

While the city could have opted not to open MASH Village, council members said in light of the city's homeless issues, service levels should be maintained.

MASH Village's Transitional Living Center assists 33 homeless families with children and 120 single women. The Crisis Intervention Center provides one-stop shopping for services. The campus also offers a medical clinic and a 250-bed winter shelter, which is scheduled to close no later than June 15.

City Manager Virginia Valentine said if the city were to change the site's use, it could be forced to refund federal grant money that was given to the city for MASH Village.

But before the city decides on a plan for the site, there is some work to be done on the existing buildings, which could run as high as $250,000, Valentine said.

Both the transitional living center, housed in a prefabricated building, and the crisis intervention center, a Smart and Final retail building, must be brought up to code, Valentine said.

City officials plan to meet with Clark County -- which made a $2.5 million investment in the campus -- to see if it would help fund improvements.

Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald said when looking for a new operator the city has a chance to add an emphasis that might not have been prominent in the past, such as services for the mentally ill.

The council also voted to spend $24,000 on additional beds at the Salvation Army -- 90 beds for men, 40 beds for women --for no more than three months.

Catholic Charities' 900-bed campus is scheduled to open in the fall.