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Sunny Isles Beach staff to draft ordinance after commissioners press for rules on delivery robots
Summary
City staff told the commission that state law gives personal delivery devices pedestrian-like rights, limiting outright bans; commissioners directed staff to draft an ordinance next month with registration, lighting/flagging, idle-time and insurance requirements, and possible speed and operating-hour limits.
The commission spent an extended discussion on personal mobile delivery devices after residents reported numerous devices operating in the right-of-way.
The code director explained that Florida law (statute 316.2071, as cited in the briefing) authorizes personal delivery devices and affords them rights similar to pedestrians, which limits municipalities’ ability to ban them outright. Staff said the main operator encountered locally is Serve Robotics and that deployments included roughly 20–21 local businesses using the service.
Staff reviewed local approaches (Miami Beach requirements for lighting/flags and retrofit periods) and proposed options cities commonly consider: a local registry, identification displayed on each device, mandated insurance (staff said the state statutory minimum of $100,000 was already referenced), limitations on idle time and where devices may stop or pick up orders during city events, speed limits and time‑of‑day restrictions. The code director noted enforcement logistics (for example, how to credit speed or issue tickets and how to recover a device that is not a registered vehicle).
Commissioners repeatedly said they wanted the city to adopt the "strictest regulations" feasible. The city manager told the commission staff can produce a draft ordinance next month incorporating options learned from other municipalities (identification, insurance, idle‑time limits and potential registries) so the commission can decide whether to implement those standards.
Next steps: staff to return a draft ordinance next month for commissioner review and possible adoption.
