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Sterling Heights moves forward on drone readiness, EV police pilot and Lakeside pedestrian bridge
Summary
City Manager Mark Vanderpool updated council on an ongoing drone readiness assessment and an EV police-vehicle pilot, and said a state-funded pedestrian bridge replacement at Lakeside will begin this week.
Sterling Heights City Manager Mark Vanderpool said the city is finalizing a drone readiness assessment and is exploring a pilot for beyond-visual-line-of-sight public safety operations, part of a broader push to test drone uses alongside an electric-vehicle (EV) fleet pilot and park improvements.
The assessment, Vanderpool told the Sterling Heights City Council, is being prepared with Airspace LYNX’s Fly Safe program and will recommend how the city should regulate and manage drones for commerce, transportation and public safety while minimizing impacts on residents. “The assessment will outline how best to regulate drone technology while recognizing rapidly growing use in these sectors,” Vanderpool said.
Why it matters: Municipalities that plan drone corridors and public-safety drone deployment can avoid ad hoc responses as commercial and recreational unmanned aircraft operations increase. Vanderpool said the city expects to use the assessment to balance economic opportunity with residents’ quality of life.
Public-safety pilot and timeline
Jim Santilli, introduced by Vanderpool as the president of American Air Operations and CEO of the Transportation Improvement Association, delivered a high-level briefing on national drone trends and federal rules. Santilli cited Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data showing growth in registered drones and remote-identification requirements, and described advances in beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations and dock-station deployment technology.
Santilli said remote ID functions like an electronic license plate and gives authorities greater situational awareness. He also described counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) tools used at federal and regional levels for detection and mitigation.
Vanderpool said the city plans to discuss the draft assessment with the mayor and council before releasing it publicly and that staff are seeking budget approval for an initial beyond-visual-line-of-sight craft to be stationed at Fire Station 1 near 17 Mile and Van Dyke. “That drone could be dispatched for any public safety purpose, avoiding in some cases potentially high-speed pursuits and better deploying resources to a fire,” Vanderpool said. He added the city would evaluate fleet performance and broader electrification over the next year.
Other city updates
Vanderpool also reported several operational items: Sterling Heights has launched a Chevrolet Blazer EV pursuit vehicle as part of an earlier EV fleet pilot; early data show a “72% reduction in emissions compared to traditional police vehicles,” he said. He announced a state-funded pedestrian bridge replacement at Lakeside will begin this week and is expected to be completed in mid-summer; the project will include shoreline stabilization and erosion control.
What’s next
Vanderpool said administrators will review the first draft of the drone assessment the week following the council meeting, then release it for public review. The city intends to monitor the EV pilot for at least a year to inform future fleet electrification decisions.
Speakers quoted in this article were present at the council meeting and include the city manager and the external consultant who presented on drone issues.
