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Sparks council denies drone ordinance after community concerns; chief to continue stakeholder talks
Summary
Council voted to deny an ordinance that would have restricted unmanned aerial vehicles near special events and emergency scenes after community members and a commercial drone pilot raised legal and enforcement concerns; the police chief said staff will revise the proposal.
The Sparks City Council voted unanimously on July 6 to deny an ordinance (Bill 2835) that would have prohibited unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) within 500 feet of special events or emergency response scenes. Police Chief Chris Crawford asked the council to reject the bill to allow more stakeholder engagement and revision.
Community commenters and a licensed commercial drone pilot told the council the proposed ordinance was legally problematic, difficult to enforce and risked restricting compliant operators. Hunter Rand, a licensed commercial drone pilot and participant in federal drone rulemaking, told the council federal law and existing regulations already cover many of the cited concerns and warned the city’s draft could expose Sparks to legal liability and unintentionally penalize law-abiding pilots. Rand suggested alternate, targeted approaches such as regulating retail sales or requiring certification for operators.
Chief Crawford said he had met with community members and would continue discussions with pilots and staff. After the public hearing and staff request, Member Abbott moved and Member Rodriguez seconded a motion to deny Bill 2835; the motion passed unanimously. Chief Crawford said staff hopes to bring a revised ordinance back to the council after additional stakeholder meetings, likely before the end of summer.
