Schools

Board OKs Security Cameras, New Lighting at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park

Security cameras throughout P-CEP, lighting fixtures at Plymouth High School eligible for funding under 2010 bond.

will use some of its approximately $829,000 in unspent 2010 bond funds to add security cameras and lighting at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park.

The security cameras could be welcome news for parents of the high school campus' approximately 6,200 students. Parents lobbied for cameras after the park in one week in October 2011 and parents have over reported inappropriate signs of affection between students during and after school hours and “” at after-school events that they say escaped the sight of administrators and staff.

The school board voted Tuesday to approve new security cameras offering full interior coverage at its three high schools at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park and new LED light fixtures outside of Plymouth High School.

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The cameras are estimated to cost $387,711, and the lights $108,100.

William Weinrauch Jr. of TMP architecture, who facilitated the district’s bidding process for cameras, recommended Plymouth-Canton award the bid to NeTech Corporation, a national company with offices in Novi.

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Douglas Underwood of McCarthy & Smith, Inc., who helped the district with its lighting bids, recommended Corby Energy Services from Belleville.

For the lights at Plymouth High School, Weinrauch estimated the district would earn its money back on energy costs after about 17-18 years. The project would replace the fixtures for parking lot lights, but not the poles, Underwood said.

Brodie Killian, the district’s executive director of business services, said the lights and cameras were two of the few projects that qualified for funding under the terms of the 2010 Qualified School Construction Bond, which emphasized energy savings.

The board unanimously accepted the security camera bid and voted 6-1 on the lighting bid. Board member Mike Maloney cast the lone dissenting vote, raising questions about the long period of time it would take to recoup its costs.

“This kind of project kind of came out of the blue for me,” Maloney said. “I don’t have the visibility what the other projects were and how a project that has a 15-year payback is the highest priority thing we have to do.”

Killian said several other projects were considered but dropped out of consideration because they would take even longer to pay back or did not qualify under the bond terms.


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