Cookeville to pursue five-year DroneSense contract for police drones, with indemnity clause caveat

The Cookeville City Council authorized staff Sept. 4 to move forward with a five-year contract with VersaTerm for the DroneSense comprehensive drone management platform for the police department, contingent on contract language changes requested by the city attorney. Chief Winfrey presented the request and the contract conditions. Chief Winfrey told council the platform would allow the police department to record drone telemetry during training and operational use and to stream video to multiple devices to improve real‑time situational awareness. He said the first‑year cost for the platform is $6,700 with a $2,400 rebate; years two through five would cost $9,100 per year. Chief Winfrey said the purchase is included in the department’s budget. Winfrey also told the council that the contract should be contingent on removal of an indemnity clause; he asked authorization for the city manager to execute the five‑year agreement after the city attorney’s recommended edits. The council moved and approved the authorization. The contract will be subject to final attorney review and the vendor’s acceptance of the edited terms. City staff said they would return with a signed contract once the attorney’s revisions are completed.