City officials discuss MASH future

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Wednesday, June 19, 2002 | 12:29 p.m.

Las Vegas city officials met Tuesday with area charities, nonprofits and homeless advocates to answer questions about the city's search for someone to run the MASH Village shelter when the current operator pulls out in October.

The city had hoped to quiet criticism that followed publication May 29 of its request for bids for a new operator of Southern Nevada's largest homeless shelter. The deadline for responding is July 15.

The operator would replace Father Joe Carroll's SVDP Management, a San-Diego-based nonprofit that has run the shelter since 1995. Carroll announced in March his group would pull out of Las Vegas in six months, because it could not raise enough money.

But representatives of groups that may step up to replace Carroll's organization said after the meeting that many questions remained unanswered, leaving them with less interest in responding to the request.

The Salvation Army, one of the area's largest charities that work with the homeless, does not plan to apply to run the MASH Village shelter.

"Our advisory board had already decided we can't afford to take this on, and I didn't find any new information from today's meeting that I think would change their position," said the Rev. Duane Sonnenberg, administrator for the Salvation Army.

The questions include the cost of repairs needed at the site and whether there would be money left over from a federal grant for the new operator to use, said Bill Robinson, who works with Living Well Inc., a nonprofit that has expressed interest in the shelter.

The city is currently seeking financial information on both issues.

Brenda Dizon, director of the Shade Tree, a shelter for women, asked whether the city would give any financial assistance to the new shelter operator.

The answer was no.

The request deliberately left loose ends, because the city wanted "to hear the vision of those of you who provide the services," said Faye Johnson, a Department of Neighborhood Services employee who is working on the search.

Charles Bowker, of the Southern Nevada Homeless Coalition -- a 70-member umbrella group -- said the city's approach could be summed up as: "We'll listen to anything you say. We don't have any money."

Robinson echoed several area homeless advocates who in recent weeks have questioned the city's intent.

"On the surface, it seems that with all the unanswered questions about money, it would appear that the city is simply trying to let MASH gracefully close, and leave it at that," he said.