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Sparks schedules public hearing on drone ordinance after local pilots warn it could penalize compliant operators
Summary
Sparks City Clerk read Bill 2835, proposing to ban unmanned aerial vehicles within 500 feet of special events and emergency scenes. Licensed pilots and a Nevada UAS test-site leader told council the ordinance, as written, risks burdening federally compliant commercial operators and may conflict with FAA authority.
Sparks City Clerk read Bill 2835 on June 9, setting a public hearing for June 23 on a proposed ordinance that would prohibit unmanned aerial vehicles within 500 feet of special events and emergency response scenes.
The ordinance, presented as an initial reading, prompted public comments from local drone operators and industry stakeholders who urged the city to refine the proposal to avoid unintended consequences for licensed commercial pilots and to coordinate with federal rules.
Hunter Rand, who identified himself as a Ward 2 resident, Sparks small-business owner and an FAA-certified commercial drone pilot, told the council the ordinance “misses the mark and may unintentionally burden those of us who are already compliant with federal regulations.” He said there are “167 licensed commercial drone pilots that live in Sparks according to the FAA” and urged the city to focus on education and coordination with the FAA rather than duplicative local penalties. “Most of what this ordinance tries to tackle is already federally regulated,” Rand said.
Mark Genung, introduced as head of the Nevada UAS Test Site but speaking in a private capacity, told council members the federal regulatory environment is changing rapidly and warned local rules could be quickly outdated. He said the FAA is preparing rulemaking that may permit very large drones and expanded beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations, and noted White House executive actions addressing drone operations. “There’s some legislation that's gonna dramatically expand the kind of operation you're gonna see in the national airspace. It's gonna include Sparks,” Genung said, urging caution before adopting local restrictions that could conflict with federal jurisdiction over navigable airspace.
Both speakers asked the city to tailor any local ordinance to avoid penalizing trained commercial operators who undergo FAA background checks and to concentrate enforcement on hobbyists who operate illegally in controlled airspace.
The clerk said the bill will return for a public hearing and action at the regular Sparks City Council meeting on Monday, June 23.
Next steps: Council members will hear the public hearing and potentially adopt, amend or reject Bill 2835 on June 23; staff did not present a recommended final text at the June 9 meeting.
