Council recommends GIS technician and handheld GPS; council defers full drone purchase pending more details
May 24, 2025 | City Council Meetings, Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee
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Shelbyville councilors and staff recommended adding a GIS technician and a handheld GPS data collector to the proposed budget, and agreed to delay purchase of a city-operated drone and broader IT staffing upgrades until staff can provide more operational detail and cost alternatives.
City IT and planning staff told the council the GIS position and the handheld GPS device would support mapping and asset management across multiple departments, including planning, codes, public works and stormwater. Staff presented estimated costs: a handheld GPS data collector was cited at about $50,000 and a GIS technician package (salary plus benefits) at approximately $84,500.
IT Director Kate (identified in the meeting) and City Manager Scott McKay said outsourcing some mapping or drone services remains an option and could be significantly cheaper in the short term. One staff estimate cited an external drone service cost in the range of $25,000 per year; a city-owned drone plus a trained technician and related GIS capability was presented as a higher-cost, longer-term investment. Staff recommended proceeding now with the data collector and the GIS technician to begin building internal capacity, and holding off on the drone purchase until departments provide written operational plans that clarify who will operate and maintain the device and how it would be shared across police, fire, planning and public works.
Council members asked that staff deliver a side-by-side analysis of contracting the work versus hiring in-house, and to include expected recurring costs, training requirements, warranty and maintenance responsibilities, and cross-department governance. City staff said they would provide that information at the June 2 budget workshop.
Council gave direction to include the GIS technician and GPS data collector in the draft budget while deferring the drone request pending the requested operational plan and cost comparisons.
City IT and planning staff told the council the GIS position and the handheld GPS device would support mapping and asset management across multiple departments, including planning, codes, public works and stormwater. Staff presented estimated costs: a handheld GPS data collector was cited at about $50,000 and a GIS technician package (salary plus benefits) at approximately $84,500.
IT Director Kate (identified in the meeting) and City Manager Scott McKay said outsourcing some mapping or drone services remains an option and could be significantly cheaper in the short term. One staff estimate cited an external drone service cost in the range of $25,000 per year; a city-owned drone plus a trained technician and related GIS capability was presented as a higher-cost, longer-term investment. Staff recommended proceeding now with the data collector and the GIS technician to begin building internal capacity, and holding off on the drone purchase until departments provide written operational plans that clarify who will operate and maintain the device and how it would be shared across police, fire, planning and public works.
Council members asked that staff deliver a side-by-side analysis of contracting the work versus hiring in-house, and to include expected recurring costs, training requirements, warranty and maintenance responsibilities, and cross-department governance. City staff said they would provide that information at the June 2 budget workshop.
Council gave direction to include the GIS technician and GPS data collector in the draft budget while deferring the drone request pending the requested operational plan and cost comparisons.
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