New drones will give Dublin police, fire departments eyes in the sky

The city’s police officers and firefighters will soon be able to get a bird’s eye view of Dublin.

The Dublin City Council approved the purchase of three drones and three docking stations from Paladin Drones. Dublin City Manager Josh Powell said they had budgeted to buy the equipment in their FY 27 budget.

“This will assist the police department in their duties,” Powell said. “After the police chief and staff reviewed options from multiple vendors, they decided Paladin would provide us with the best bang for our buck.” 

They will be able to convert one of the city’s assisting drones to tie in to the new system’s software. They will also have an ongoing software contract with Paladin for the service related to the maintenance of the drones as well as the video footage gained from the drones.

The funding will be split between the 2024 SPLOST and general funds, Powell said. Dublin Mayor Joshua Kight asked DPD Chief Keith Moon to inform the audience about the drones.

“Once we get the system set up, we can place them anywhere in town as long as we have power, internet and infrastructure,” Moon said. “We can fly them for police department and fire calls also. We can use them for patrol and also use them to respond to calls.”

Kight knew the drones were some of the technology Moon and Dublin Fire Chief Matthew Cutler had asked for to help in their job.

“This will be beneficial for public safety,” the mayor said. “Thank you for continuing to look for ways to increase the safety in our city.”

When asked, Moon confirmed that all three of the drones will have infrared sensors to detect heat energy. 

Earlier in the meeting, the council held a second reading and public hearing on an ordinance to rezone 3.5 acres to allow MVGV to build multi-family housing. Blake McRae, who was at Thursday’s meeting on behalf of the owner, spoke during the hearing about building adjacent to existing multi-family housing on Woodlawn Drive.

“These will be very similar to the same multi-family development right next door,” McRae informed the council. “The intent would be 59 units. We just want to duplicate what is going on right next door.”

Kight asked a few questions, informing McRae that during the time the last apartments were built, the city had come up with additional conditions for builders.

“It is mainly for purposes of safety,” Kight said.

The council wanted to know:

– Was there a plan to add a sidewalk to connect to the crosswalk?

– Was there a plan for lighting in the parking lots?

That information was not immediately available, but McRae said he would discuss the requirements with the owner. He did say they plan to have a greenspace but said that type of amenities had not been determined. When asked if a security system had been determined yet, McRae said no.

Councilman Bennie Jones asked if there would be a place with a cover for the children to be under to catch the bus. McRae was not sure but said “that is definitely a good idea.” 

Kight informed McRae that in the past, they had received agreements for these items before voting to approve the rezoning.

“In pre-council we discussed to table this in order to talk about this, and the bus stop as well, and make sure the owner is agreeable to do all of these things and bring it back before the next meeting,” Kight said. “We want to be favorable toward the development, but we also want to make sure the project has these things for safety.” 

McRae understood.

“I think the challenge is getting the rezoning approved and then closing on the property,” he said. “He can’t close on the property until it is rezoned.”

Kight wants to work with them, and said if need be, they can hold a called meeting about this before the next scheduled meeting on July 16.

In other meeting news, the council:

– Approved water and sewer easements at MGVG Living Apartments.

– Approved and accepted the renewal of supplemental insurance with the Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency for first responders. According to Powell, the Ashley Wilson Act mandated by the Georgia Legislature, they are required to provide a PTSD program for first responders. The total cost will be $15,540.

– Approved a contract with L&L Utilities for the Rice Avenue sewer replacement project.

– Approved a yearly contract with Brenntag for chlorine, Univar for hydrofluorosilicic acid and Riverland Trading for potassium permanganate.

– Approved local agreements with the Dublin Housing Authority, Southside Community Association, Inc., and Oconee High School National Alumni Association, Inc., for the use of the Oconee Gym, Oconee Cultural Center and associated parks.

“City staff met with representatives from all three of these entities about use of these facilities,” Powell said. “They wanted to have agreements in place because of the public benefit they provide.” 

– During citizens comments, Rae Bloodworth asked about an email she sent the mayor and council regarding city board appointments. Her concerns were how some people serve on the city boards for long periods of time. She requested information on how board vacancies are announced, when they are made available to the public and how city officials encourage broader community participation.

“I was asked this question, so I decided to bring it to you,” Bloodworth said. “I believe it needs some answers. Please, somebody get back with me. How are we serving the whole city of Dublin if we have the same people continue to sit?”