Restriction Would Encompass Nearly The Entire Town

The Ocean City, NJ City Council has passed on first read an ordinance that would ban the operation of UAVs within five miles of Ocean City Airport (N26).

Nearly the entire city lies within that five mile circle.

While the council vote last Thursday night was unanimous, two members of the panel said they wanted to amend the ordinance before final passage.

The Ocean City Patch reports that Mayor Jay Gillian said that the ban should not allow any exceptions, even for such things as police searches or real estate.  “I feel that public safety and privacy is more important than anything else,” Gillian said. “I know people love to use drones, but we have an airport and safety comes first. I know they can be used for some good, but the good doesn’t outweigh the bad in this instance.”

However, Councilmen Anthony Wilson and Michael DeVlieger have asked for an opportunity to amend the ordinance before final passage. DeVlieger said that police search and rescue is a legitimate use of a UAV, as is their use in helping real estate people document houses for sale.

DeVlieger and Wilson both suggested requiring permits for specific situations. "They have benefits and I want to make sure we do our research before second reading,” Wilson said.

The five members of the public who spoke during the meeting supported the legislation, and made the obligatory arguments about privacy and safety.

Gillian said the city should not wait for the federal government to finalize its rules. A violation of the Ocean City ordinance would carry a penalty of no more than $500 for the first offense and no more than $1,000, and/or 30 days in jail, for each subsequent offense.

The second public hearing and final vote are scheduled for Thursday, Nov 12.

FMI: http://www.ocnj.us/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.map&mapTypeID=83