Veterans Transition Center will take over management of Last Chance Mercantile.

The nonprofit Veterans Transition Center will take over management of Last Chance Mercantile, the secondhand store at Monterey Regional Waste Management District in Marina. The store has been closed all pandemic long.

Even before the pandemic, Last Chance was operating at a deficit of about $700,000 per year.

The board of the Waste Management District voted unanimously on April 23 to contract out management to the VTC. Tim Flanagan, general manager of the district, says VTC's proposal was the strongest. The decision, he says, was based on financial stability, community benefits and continuing with the mission of diverting and reusing products. 

The Last Chance Mercantile Re-Opening Task Force had analyzed possible reopening alternatives for months, and ultimately recommended VTC to the board. They delayed a decision based on concerns about employee retention and compensation, and MRWMD board member Bruce Delgado made a motion to give a former Last Chance employees a 5-percent preference over other candidates during the hiring process. It was approved unanimously. 

One of the main concerns during the March 19 discussion was the wages VTC was proposing. In March, VTC’s were $23.50/hour for management positions and $15/hour for others. MRWMD jobs also include cost-of-living adjustments, while VTC’s proposal doesn’t. Before presenting to the board again in April, VTC increased wages: Supervisors will earn $24/hour and full-time employees will earn an average of $20.50/hour.  

Under VTC’s management, the number of workers will also increase, from 11 to 16. 

VTC will offer some new services as well, such as pickup and drop-off of goods. 

VTC representatives expect to reopen the store on July 4.