Public commenters and county officials split over replacing Our Place operator; Volunteers of America, RISE draw competing endorsements

The management of Our Place, Washoe County's family shelter, drew repeated public comment at the Board of County Commissioners meeting on May 20 as speakers urged different outcomes while a county review of contracts and operators remains underway.

Multiple speakers endorsed Volunteers of America (VOA) as a contract operator for Our Place, while longtime volunteers and former staff urged retaining RISE or demanded more transparency about cost and process.

Support for VOA Travis Sandefer, regional vice president of Volunteers of America, told the board: "If you vote to approve VOA's contract as the operator of Our Place, we will partner alongside you to face whatever challenges come our way, and we will always keep the clients as our highest priority during the transition and even beyond." He described VOA's commitment to operational improvement and compassion during transitions.

Pat Cashel, who identified himself as a former executive director of Volunteers of America, spoke in strong support of VOA and credited both VOA and RISE for past work at the shelter. "I'm in total favor of it," Cashel said, citing VOA's record with clients and programs.

Concerns about process and cost; defense of RISE Several volunteers and residents urged continuity with RISE and called for transparency about procurement. Lynn Amone, who volunteers weekly at Our Place, said: "It's been uniformly positive. I am so impressed by the staff there, by their commitment to the guests." Volunteer comments emphasized longtime staff commitment, community engagement events and positive volunteer experiences at the site.

Emily Elise (who said she previously worked in the county's housing and homeless services division) asked commissioners to block a recommendation to replace RISE with VOA and raised concerns about transparency, the procurement process, and a proposed cost increase she described as $1,200,000 compared with the existing contract. Elise said she had direct experience with the shelter system and urged the board to weigh local relationships and outcomes as well as financial impacts.

Commissioner remarks and staff context Commissioners acknowledged the strong public interest in the matter. During broader budget discussion later in the meeting, commissioners and staff referenced a possible $1.2 million cost difference tied to VOA's proposed contract and said the county is constrained by a tight overall budget while still seeking solutions for homelessness and shelter operations.

Ryan Gustafson, director of the Washoe County Human Services Agency (HSA), appeared during the presentations portion to explain the agency's role and the county's broader homelessness programs, including Our Place, the CARES campus and permanent supportive housing. Gustafson noted HSA has recently integrated housing and homeless services into the agency and said the county is preparing additional facilities and services, including a new permanent supportive housing building nearing completion.

What the board decided The May 20 meeting recorded many public comments and questions but did not include a final public action or vote on awarding Our Place's operator contract. Commissioners asked staff to provide further information and continue evaluating procurement, cost and program outcomes before final action.

Ending Speakers for both sides urged the board to weigh outcomes for clients and the community along with contract cost. The issue remains scheduled for staff review and future board consideration; commissioners asked for more detail on cost comparisons, service levels and transition plans before any contract decision is finalized.