Hamilton County's sheriff told commissioners the office is seeking to purchase a submersible remote-operated vehicle from VideoRay LLC for $250,831.66 to replace a 14-year-old unit used in water operations.

"This technology was deployed over 50 times on emergency responses to drownings, vehicle locations, a downed airplane," the sheriff said, adding the older unit was purchased under a port security grant in 2011 for $125,000 and has been unsupported by warranty, maintenance agreements and software updates since 2020.

The sheriff said the county has more than 30 miles of water jurisdiction and described the ROV as critical for evidence recovery and emergency response, especially with summer activity. When a commissioner asked whether other county departments or supported agencies have similar ROVs, the sheriff responded that some agencies have side-scan capabilities but he did not know if they have an ROV.

Commissioner Helton questioned the purchase in the context of tight county finances, saying, "We're in a we're in a tough budget year, and it makes me wonder if this is a need or a luxury item." The sheriff replied, "For us, it's a need. For us, it's absolutely need. We're responsible for evidence recovery. Those civilian agencies are not. They're not trained in evidence recovery, so they don't fall under my jurisdiction."

The clerk read the resolution authorizing the county mayor to sign any contracts necessary to implement the purchase; the provided transcript excerpt does not record a vote or final procurement action.