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Lorain council approves emergency contract for unmanned drones after extended debate on privacy, cost and timeline
Summary
Council approved an emergency ordinance authorizing a contract for unmanned drones (Flat Group Inc) after extended questions about device types, FAA rules, data retention, insurance and funding; the first-year cost will use ARPA funds with ongoing costs from the police levy, council members said.
Lorain City Council voted Dec. 1 to authorize the safety service director to enter into an agreement with Flat Group Inc for equipment, software and services to deploy unmanned drones, passing emergency legislation after extended public and council discussion.
Council members and staff described two drone types: larger, dispatcher-deployed drones that can quickly reach incident scenes and smaller tactical units used by officers in the field. A city official said the larger drones would operate under 200 feet so they would not require FAA-certified pilots for routine deployment; dispatchers can push a button to send a drone based on call coordinates, staff said.
Council discussion focused on privacy and retention, liability and insurance, timelines tied to tariffs and procurement, and funding. The chief who spoke during the meeting said drones are insured and the city can publish flight paths on its website so the public can see where drones flew. City staff also said the vendor's discounted five-year contract is being offered at roughly $100,000 instead of a $500,000 list price; ARPA funds will cover the initial year with ongoing costs intended for the police levy.
Several councilmembers sought assurances about record retention and public access. A councilmember noted that drone footage, like body-worn camera video, can be requested by the public; staff confirmed that drone footage can be produced under public-records rules. The chief said the drones would assist first responders at shootings, fires and water rescues and could arrive faster than officers.
The ordinance underwent a motion to reconsider, was moved to second reading with suspension of the rules for further discussion, and ultimately passed unanimously after members received answers about insurance, FAA implications and funding sources.
What happens next: staff said the administration will finalize the contract and that the police department will publish operational details and flight-path information; council scheduled follow-up committee discussion for additional questions if needed.
