The Prairie Village governing body will consider a city-level ordinance that would regulate drone usage in the city — but some city councilmembers are skeptical of the need for a new law.
On a 6-4 vote Tuesday, the council directed staff to bring a draft ordinance crafted in conjunction with city attorneys back to the governing body for a formal vote at a later date. At present, Mission Hills is the only northeast Johnson County city with an ordinance on the books restricting drone usage.
The question of whether and how to regulate drone usage in Prairie Village has been an active issue since a drone of unknown origin flew over the crowd at the 2017 Jazz Fest. That drone turned out to be piloted by a commercial operator, who was hired by a woman to hang a banner in hopes of finding a lost love connection.
But the incident spooked some at city hall, who worried about the threat drones could pose over crowds and to the individual privacy of residents.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post – Community news and events for northeast Johnson County)