Staff photo by Fritz Busch Brown County commissioners unanimously approved a 2026 Brown County Evaluation Center contract Tuesday. The center that provides detoxification and evaluation services at 510 N. Front St. is pictured above.

NEW ULM — Due to rising facility costs and anticipated fewer (detox) residents, Brown County commissioners unanimously approved a 2026 Brown County Evaluation Center contract Tuesday with a 22% daily rate increase for member counties Tuesday.

The daily rate will increase to from $387 to $475 next year for member county residents. The non-member county daily rate will rise from $475 to $500 next year.

Commissioner Dave Borchert, also the New Ulm Police Chief, said due in part to new marijuana laws that affect the ability of law enforcement do searches, lawn enforcement now has fewer contacts with individuals that wind up in detox than it did several years ago so detox costs are affected.

“At the end of the day, we can’t lose money (at detox). We have to break even,” he said.

“I have concerns about people getting more sick now from opioids, methamphetamine and sometimes marijuana with a very high THC concentration. More people than I would have ever thought are hallucinating now and are a danger to themselves,” said Borchert. “We aren’t talking about marijuana bought at smoke shops. These people need help more than anybody. The problem now is law enforcement isn’t able to help all these people at vehicle stops because they can’t expand searches as easily under reasonable suspicion.”

He said law enforcement needs to get search warrants and take blood or urine samples to find out what is in a suspect’s system.

Borchert said detox member counties “are kind of our partner counties that represent themselves on the evaluation center board.”

The co-ed, 16-bed secure facility at 510 N. Front St. is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health. It provides detoxification and evaluation services to all Brown County residents that are either self-referred, referred by Brown County Human Services, or by Brown County law enforcement.

Services are provided to residents of other counties referred to the detox center by Brown County Human Services or law enforcement.

Individuals admitted with or who develop suicidal ideation while receiving detox services receive a mental health assessment by a mental health professional.

Payment responsibility for mental health assessments for individuals without medical insurance, Medical Assistance or any other means to pay will be Brown County or the referring county.

Contract approval came on a motion by Commissioner Brian Braun, seconded by Jeff Veerkamp.