Drone manufacturer seeking another chance in Macon-Bibb

A proposal to bring drones to Macon-Bibb County could come back before commissioners, but there's weariness among some county officials about the $5.7 million project.

Several commissioners said Mayor Robert Reichert has recently gauged their interest in having a representative of Olaeris, the manufacturer of the unmanned aerial system, return to Macon to answer some of their concerns.

Reichert said there are no plans for now to bring back Olaeris, but that the company's CEO, Ted Lindsley, has expressed interest in coming back.

Lindsley said recently that he still envisions Macon as a regional hub for drones, responding to emergencies and natural disasters. In July, the County Commission tabled a resolution for a memorandum of understanding that would have set forth the county's intent to pay $96,000 a month over five years for drones.

Reichert said there could have been a better job of communicating that proposal, which he describes as a nonbinding letter of agreement.

There are economic and public safety benefits of the proposal, he said.

"(Olaeris) would have to design and build the drones and would have to deploy it in our area, demonstrate it worked and would be capable of what they said it would do before we had any obligation to buy it," Reichert said.

Commissioner Al Tillman said he first was willing to consider having Olaeris make another presentation, but that's soured after he saw a "cartoonish" YouTube video the company made that blamed the media for the agreement not winning approval.

The animated video was published online after media reports surfaced in August that Lindsley and Reichert had communicated months before commissioners were informed about the project. There was also a media report about online postings made by Olaeris proclaiming that the deal with Macon-Bibb had been approved, which Lindsley said was a misunderstanding.

"Too much time has gone by that they could have spent communicating with commissioners," said Tillman, whom Reichert recently asked about any renewed curiosity in the project. "The original vote, in my opinion, had enough votes to pass, but it got tabled for further info. (Olaeris) started doing the blame game of the media instead of communicating with commissioners.

"At this time, I'm not interested in anything about the drones."

Lindsley has said the video was aimed at garnering public support -- and not government officials. The fact that it was approved by a commission committee, he said, shows some Macon-Bibb officials understood the benefits.

Olaeris has to meet all of the requirements of the agreement before Macon-Bibb spends any money.

Another requirement of the agreement is getting approval to fly the drones from the Federal Aviation Administration.

"Our investors are willing to invest millions into Macon-Bibb, and (the drones) will perform exactly as the (MOU) says," Lindsley said. "Mayor Reichert is an attorney. He's a very smart guy. In discussions, he made it clear we're drafting an MOU. He understood Macon has a no-risk opportunity and made sure all the burden to perform" was on Olaeris."

'CAN'T AFFORD' IT

Commissioner Mallory Jones described his thoughts on the interaction and proposal from Olaeris as a mixed-bag. It's a common business practice for a company and mayor to have discussions before county officials are made aware of them. But for Jones, there's apprehension with the "misrepresentation" of having the American Civil Liberties Union dispute the relationship Olaeris claimed it had with the organization during a presentation to the commission.

"Mainly, it's the cost of $96,000 a month for five years. We can't afford that," Jones said.

Commissioner Elaine Lucas said the mayor called her several weeks ago to see if she was interested in speaking with Olaeris again, but this time in a one-on-one setting. She prefers details coming out in a group setting, but said she would be open to listen.

The majority of Macon-Bibb residents who have contacted her think the proposal is too costly, and they are worried about the secrecy issues involving drones.

"I think eventually we'll get to more (adjusted) to drones, but I think at this time Macon-Bibb County citizens are opposed to it," Lucas said.

According to Olaeris, the drones, which would be the size of a king-size mattress and could reach speeds of 100 mph, would be placed in locations where they could get anywhere in the county within 90 seconds to several minutes. The drones could be used on calls for burglaries, robberies, hostage situations and fires. Olaeris estimates that for every $1 spent on the drones, a government would save $6-$8 in manpower.

Lindsley said last week that some drone manufacturing has begun at multiple locations, but he declined to say where.

He also refused to comment on whether Olaeris has made any agreements with other government entities. City leaders in Greensboro and Winston Salem, North Carolina, have balked at similar proposals that Olaeris made, with some saying they needed more answers before moving forward.

A Nov. 11 report from North Carolina TV station WFMY News 2 said Olaeris has begun producing a drone in Raleigh, and the company announced a partnership with two state universities for future opportunities for students.

Commissioner Gary Bechtel said he received an email from Reichert asking if he'd be open to hearing from Olaeris again.

"I don't have an appetite for it, but if (Lindsley) wants to come back and give some more vivid details and give a presentation about what it'll do, rather than visual renderings, then I'll listen," he said.

Waiting to see the actual drone before voting on the MOU is akin to asking to see Boeing's version of a new plane before being willing to have a plant built in that city, Lindsley said.

Commissioner Virgil Watkins said he questions the feasibility of investing millions in the project. Meanwhile, Commissioner Larry Schelsinger said he's neutral on the idea at this time.

"What I have heard proposed through reports in the media are that drones might be an effective way of securing and policing some things," he said.

To contact writer Stanley Dunlap, call 744-4623 or find him on Twitter @stan_telegraph.

This story was originally published November 26, 2015 at 8:56 PM with the headline "Drone manufacturer seeking another chance in Macon-Bibb ."