Westwood Heights Board approves card-access system contract for district buildings

The Westwood Heights Schools Board of Education voted to award a card-access system contract to Nerds Express, approving a base bid of $162,316.40 plus a 10% contingency of $16,231.64 for a total contract amount of $178,548.04.

Board members said the system will replace most hard keys across the district’s five buildings and allow officials to deactivate individual access cards when staff leave. “All we have to do is replace a card,” said Anthony, a district staff member who presented the project and described the system’s features. He said the district has about 77 doors that could be configured for card access and that the system will let staff identify when doors are left open.

The system will also be integrated with the district’s video surveillance. “We rely on our video surveillance system to monitor the whereabouts of [people] inside the building,” Anthony said, explaining the system audits entry events but does not necessarily log exits without additional swipes.

The board discussed contractor experience and procurement. A board member said Nerds Express had the lowest bid and noted a five-year warranty included in the contract. Board members also asked whether the work should be subject to Michigan’s prevailing-wage requirements; a board member asked explicitly whether the company “pays the prevailing wage as required by Michigan law.” A district official replied, “This is not a prevailing wage situation, to my understanding,” and added that the district and its consultant had reviewed the issue.

Board members and staff gave a timeline: if approved, the vendor is scheduled to start about Jan. 6 and to finish about April 1, though the presenter said those dates could shift by a week or two. The contract was moved by Lester Fikes and supported by Walker; the motion passed with five votes in favor and zero opposed.

Clarifying details recorded in the meeting include the base bid, a 10% contingency, about 77 doors across five district buildings, a stated start date of about Jan. 6 and a projected completion around April 1, and a five-year equipment warranty. During discussion the presenter cited a current labor rate as “$85”; later in the meeting an unclear comment referenced “$5 an hour.” The board did not resolve that discrepancy during the public portion of the meeting.

The board’s action establishes the contract award; staff and the district’s consultant will complete the procurement steps and coordinate the vendor schedule and final contract details.