Ordinance Being Drafted Over The Use Of Drones In FDL

The Fond du Lac City Council will be considering some restrictions of the use of drones or unmanned aerial systems in the city. City Attorney Deb Hoffmann recently told the Council the Federal Aviation Administration handles permitting for drones, but the city can have a say on how they are used. The city could regulate the taking of pictures, which might be construed as an invasion of privacy. She notes in the past year the Green Bay City Council passed an ordinance, which restricts the use of drones over sporting events likes games at Lambeau Field where a drone could present a safety issue if it fails. Drones have limited battery life and if the battery fails over a crowd it could endanger safety or damage property. Hoffmann says the National League of Cities has a model ordinance the city could use to draft its own. Chicago and Miami have also passed ordinances regulating the use of drones.