Sebastian City Council members agreed to have City Manager Joe Griffin draft an ordinance restricting drones in City skies, but only after some lively discussion and a good bit of disagreement on what potential dangers the wildly popular remote-controlled planes pose and even whether, in fact, they pose any.
At last month’s City Council meeting Vice-Mayor Jerome Adams asked that the issue be placed on the Jan. 13 agenda for discussion, citing the recent spate of news stories featuring drones going where they shouldn’t, zipping too close to airline flights and crashing at sporting events while they buzz around taking photos and video footage.
Adams said drones aren’t regulated at altitudes below 400 feet, which is just where they are causing the current hue and cry. “The FAA should have regulations” he asserted. “I would like us to have something out there.”
“I agree with your concerns. Back when we first had those lawnmowers with wings, I remember the FAA would not allow us” to regulate them, said Councilmember Andrea Coy, referring to ultralight aircraft.
“I don’t understand the significance of that 400 feet,” said City Manager Joe Griffin, “but, even before the flying lawn chairs, enforcement was a sticky situation. Hypothetically, with someone sitting at home, remotely operating (a drone), how would you know (who was doing it?) It’s very problematic for law enforcement.”
Citizens annoyed by the intrusive unmanned aircraft will soon figure out how to get them out of the sky, predicted Coy. “Maybe pellet guns. . . I see issues down the road.”
Mayor Richard Gillmor said, “A man told me a drone came flying right over his pool. There are specially designated areas in which radio-controlled planes can be flown, because they are dangerous. We need to come up with an ordinance to protect our people.”
Coy added that predators could use drones with cameras to spy on potential victims.
Perhaps nothing more than having a law on the books would be enough to deter drone owners from invading the property and privacy of others, Adams commented hopefully.
Councilmember Bob McPartlan was having none of it, and doesn’t think Sebastian has a drone problem. He called it ridiculous to create a law that might see a little kid with a drone he got for Christmas being sought by the authorities. “There’s not a problem here. This seems silly to me.”
“My concern (in bringing the subject to Council) was for safety, such as close calls with aircraft,” Adams replied.
“We can’t create ordinances for everything out there,” McPartlan said.
Gillmor asked Sebastian Police Chief Michelle Morris to weigh in.
Without hesitation, Morris told the Council, “There IS a problem in the neighborhoods. We are often called to disputes. There are laws about property damage. It would behoove us to have some [drone] laws. It’s a huge problem! A hot topic! It is taking a lot of our time. It is my opinion that we look into this.”
With the understanding that any such ordinance a municipality might create could be superseded by federal regulations, Gillmor directed Griffin to research the issue and come back to Council with an ordinance proposal.
