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City to surrender two pre-2022 drones under FDLE buyback; grant will reimburse replacements, staff says
Summary
Staff described a Florida Department of Law Enforcement drone replacement program that would require surrendering two older, noncompliant drones and provide reimbursement to replace them; commissioners sought clarification on reimbursement and scope.
Boynton Beach staff told commissioners the city will surrender two older drones that are noncompliant with a 2022 change to Florida law and seek reimbursement through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement(FDLE) drone replacement grant program.
"In January of 2022 the state came down with the updated on the Florida state statute basically putting them on, for lack of a better word, a no fly list," Police Chief DiJulio said, explaining that two drones purchased before that change are included in the FDLE buyback. Chief DiJulio said the affected units were acquired in 2020 and described them as older models that had been used more for social-media work than current operational tasks.
Staff said the grant program will reimburse the city for the noncompliant drones and allow the procurement of compliant replacement units; staff also clarified that more recently purchased drones from a company called Skydio remain in service and are not part of the FDLE buyback. Commissioners asked whether the grant will fully reimburse the city for the purchase cost; staff answered that the grant will reimburse the city for the covered units. The transcript does not include a recorded vote on the ratification language.
