Finance committee clears grant applications for drone and Regional Site Readiness for Red Bud business park

The finance committee voted to pursue two grant opportunities it said would advance public safety and economic development. First, the committee approved applying for a Hero Fund USA grant to purchase a drone (50% local match). Staff described the drone as a medium model with thermal imaging and a one-way communication device; cost examples in the packet ranged from about $8,000 to $37,000. "At this point you're just looking for approval to to apply for grant grant yes and it's a 50-50 match," a staff member said. The motion to apply carried by voice vote.

Second, staff explained that Phase One work on the Red Bud business park (roadway construction that will provide access to an additional 50 acres) met the eligibility requirement for the Regional Site Readiness grant, which awards between $250,000 and $3 million. Staff requested permission to apply for up to $3 million to support infrastructure for the business park; the committee approved the motion to apply. Officials said they were optimistic about a large award but emphasized that final application details and project scope would be refined before submission.

Why it matters: The drone would give local public-safety staff new capabilities for search and incident response, and a successful Regional Site Readiness award could underwrite major infrastructure work for the Red Bud business park, improving the city's competitiveness for future economic development. Next steps: staff will prepare formal grant applications, document matching funds where required and report back to council on application details and timelines.