Morrison County moves juvenile detention beds to East Regional center; appoints commissioner to joint board

Morrison County commissioners on Nov. 18 voted to authorize county staff to proceed with a contract to secure juvenile detention services from the East Regional Juvenile Center, replacing the county’s arrangement with Prairie Lakes Youth Programs.

Nathan (county staff) summarized follow‑up from a planning session and said the change would trigger a formal notice to the incumbent provider and initiate the county’s membership processes with the East Regional joint powers board. Staff estimated approximately $14,000 in annual savings under the new arrangement, though commissioners pressed for detail on utilization rates.

During discussion a staff presenter explained the cost framing: "the $146,000 is equivalent to 1 bed per day," a figure commissioners queried when weighing whether the reserve‑bed model matched the county’s use patterns.

Commissioners approved a resolution directing the appropriate county director to execute the agreement with East Regional and to provide notice to Prairie Lakes. The motion passed on a roll call vote. Separately, commissioners moved and approved the appointment of a county commissioner as the county’s representative to the joint powers board and named the county corrections director (Nicole) as the alternate.

County staff said contract documents will come through standard routing (DocuSign) and that the joint powers board typically meets quarterly; they also noted the time and difficulty involved should the county later seek to withdraw from the joint powers agreement.

The board’s decisions commit Morrison County to the East Regional juvenile detention structure and assign representation for county oversight of the joint program.