Ellwood City Borough Council Approves Police Drone Purchase

Ellwood City Borough Council approved a quote from Steel City Drones in the amount of $13,152 for the purchase of a drone for the Police Department (contingent upon union ratification of the policy) during Monday’s regular meeting.

According to Sargeant Michael McBride, the drone will provide thermal images and will aid police and first responders during police calls and during any type of “disaster” event. Officer Robert Bird will be officially trained at Steel City Drones on how to use the drone, but McBride said it can be piloted by any officer as long as it is flown under 400 feet.

Thermal imaging enables operators to detect body heat, even in complete darkness and challenging weather conditions. Its wide-area surveillance capabilities allow large landscapes—including forests, mountainous regions, and flood-affected areas—to be searched much more efficiently than traditional ground-based methods. In addition, FAA-authorized Certificates of Authorization (COAs) and Certificates of Waiver (CoWs) permit night operations, allowing agencies to conduct critical missions around the clock when rapid response is essential.

“It will save a lot of man hours,” McBride said.

It will also provide safety for officers allowing them to detect suspects before entering a building/dangerous situation.

Other motions passed:

• A motion to approve the Minutes of the Public Hearing held /18/26 and the Regular Meeting held 5/18/26 as submitted.
• A motion to approve the Pre-Paid Voucher List dated 6/11/26, in the amount of$591,993.83, and the List of Vouchers to be Paid dated 6/11/26, in the amount of$312,383.81.
• A motion to approve the Departmental Reports, as submitted.
• A motion to adopt a Resolution, as submitted, establishing a stabilized Purchase Power Adjustment (PPA) beginning with the August 1, 2026, billing (July usage) through the January 1, 2027, billing (December usage) as $0.01378/kwh sold (previous 6 months $0.01744).
• A motion to adopt a Resolution, as submitted, establishing a $1.00 Customer Charge for Residential customers for Refuse, Recycling, & Yard Waste Collection effective with the July 2026 utility hill and every hill thereafter. (Councilman Caleb Cragle and Councilwoman Jan Williams voted “No.”) Council President Brad Ovial said the customer charge is not associated with the newly established contract with Aiken, and will help alleviate the cost of curbside pickups, transporting materials to the waste site, and any associated postage costs.
• A motion to adopt a Resolution, as submitted, accepting Provisional Membership status with Municipal Risk Management Workers’ Compensation Pooled Trust (MRM Trust) and waiving all rights to dividends for three (3) years.
• A motion to award the bid for the 2026 Street Paving Project to Protech Asphalt Maintenance at a total cost of $258,056.55 ($219,193.15 base bid and $38,863.40 option #2, Cleveland Way). This amount will be paid from the Liquid Fuel Fund.
• A motion to authorize Michael Baker International to prepare/advertise bids for the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Basin Cleaning Project. Their charges will be paid from the Sewage Fund.
• A motion to authorize Michael Baker International to proceed with the Scope of Work for the sewer separation project. Their charges will be paid from the General Fund.
• A motion to approve the quote from LAR Control in the amount of $6,200 for the purchase/installation of a camera system at the main wastewater treatment plant. This amount will be paid from the Sewage Fund.
• A motion to approve the request by the Lincoln High School Class of 2001 to suspend Part 110, Chapter 1066. subsection 1066.03 (a) of the Codified Ordinance Book pertaining to the prohibition of alcohol. This suspension only applies to participants of the “LHS Class of200t’· event. It is further requested to allow a food truck (parked in a parking lot) and a DJ at this event. (Councilman James Johnson voted “No.”)
• A motion to approve the request by Bob Rak to use the Ewing Park basketball and pickleball court July 27 – July 31 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. for a free basketball camp/clinic.
• A motion to approve the request by the EC Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival to use the tennis court parking lot July 3-5, 2026, for parking for the annual festival.
• A motion to authorize the employment of Gregory Maggi as a part-time Paramedic at the rate of $27.00/hour.
• A motion to approve the amended request by the EC Area Chamber of Commerce to close Lawrence A venue from 5th to 6th Street for the remaining “Wander Ellwood” events on July 15, and August 12 from 5-9 p.m., and September 9 from 5-8 p.m.