GISD locks in guaranteed price for district security camera overhaul

Gonzales ISD board members voted Monday, April 14 to lock in a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) of $1,615,911 for a project that will install more than 400 new security cameras on the district’s six campuses and its operations, maintenance and transportation buildings as well as putting up numbering and identification lettering on campus buildings.

Casey Sledge of Sledge Engineering/ESC 13 said this is the first phase of the district-wide safety and communications improvements that were approved under the 2023 bond program. There will be a total of three phases under this portion of the bond, with work on vestibules and security doors coming in later phases.

A total of 441 new, state-of-the-art cameras which utilize advanced artificial intelligence, or AI, for surveillance, motion alerts, night vision and facial recognition abilities will be installed.

“That’s more than you have now,” Sledge said. “This replaces every old camera and adds new cameras where you don’t have cameras and need them. That’s very significant. These cameras are really impressive and becoming the norm in the industry.”

Sledge said the package also includes software to integrate all the cameras for use across multiple devices throughout the district — including cellphones and laptops — with secure log-ins as well as a 10-year license for use.

“The beauty of this software is it is quite powerful. It can do a lot of things and you have great control over who you want to have access to the cameras,” Sledge said.

Because the district chose Weaver & Jacobs of Cuero as a construction manager at risk (CMAR) for the bond program, Weaver & Jacobs was responsible for seeking bids, which they opened on March 27, Sledge said.

“We got a lot of good bidders and the best group bidding is quite experienced,” Sledge said. “If you award tonight, Weaver & Jacobs will mobilize in May. We’ll be careful not to be disruptive before school is out.

“This work is going to go heavy through the summer and it is possible this will extend throughout the summer and might even go into October for the final implementation of the cameras. We hope that we will have most of our campus work done before the kids are back in school.”

The price includes a $200,000 owner and contractor contingency for any unforeseen items that will be returned to the district if unused, Sledge said, adding he had already spoken to District Technology Director Chema Chavez about adding a few more cameras in areas not previously identified.

Sledge said there are more redundancies within the system now that also will help with backing up video surveillance in case of an outage at any campus site or an outage district-wide. The number of false alarms will also be mitigated because cameras will be used as motion detectors instead of using separate motion detecting devices.

The vote for phase 1 was 6-0 with Trustee D’Anna Robinson abstaining as her husband, Wes, works as a project manager for Weaver & Jacobs.

Sledge also gave an update on the district’s bond program so far and told board members a pre-construction meeting on the new CTE/Ag Barn facility on Stieren Road was scheduled for Wednesday, April 16. A groundbreaking ceremony could be held for the CTE/Ag project as soon as May and the board can expect to see a job trailer moved on site and grading and utility work to begin thereafter.

To date, the district has spent $8,082,148 of the $50.6 million in bond proceeds, or about 16 percent, leaving a remaining balance of $42,517,852. Most of that $8 million went to pay for new roofing and paving and design work, Sledge said.

Sledge and Weaver & Jacobs will have a second GMP for doors/hardware and vestibules brought back to the board in June, followed by a third GMP for remodels after that. Construction will continue up until fall 2026, Sledge added.

Emergency responder radio coverage testing was completed last week so the district now has the correct radio antennas installed at each campus to guarantee the radios will work in case of emergency.

On maintenance projects that are being done in-house by the district, the roofing is awaiting a final material manufacturer inspection and there has been a plan to add discovered repairs that are needed at Gonzales Junior High using cost savings from the bond project, Sledge said.