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Council adopts emergency ordinance to join ODOT drone program for first responders
Summary
The Amherst City Council unanimously adopted an emergency ordinance to enter an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation to participate in a two-year Drones for First Responders grant program, with council voting 6–0 to suspend the three-reading rule and adopt on first reading.
The Amherst City Council on March 23 adopted an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation to enroll the city in the Drones for First Responders program and declared the measure an emergency.
The Police Chief told the council the city has a two-year grant opportunity and asked the council to suspend the three-reading requirement so training and equipment purchases could begin. "We wanna get this program off the ground... it will offer us an opportunity to get training started with our newer folks that are gonna do this," the Police Chief said.
A motion to suspend the rules carried on a roll-call vote, 6–0, and the council then voted 6–0 to adopt the ordinance on the first reading. The clerk assigned the measure ordinance O 26 11.
The chief said the grant will fund training and equipment and the city will initially spend funds and seek reimbursement through the grant; no fiscal totals were provided on the record. The ordinance, as read by the clerk, authorizes the mayor to enter the agreement with ODOT and declares an emergency to expedite implementation.
The council offered no public comment during the item and provided immediate approval to allow the department to begin implementation. The council also noted police officers and the chief could be excused early from the meeting if needed following the vote.
