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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: September 12, 2022 <br />TOPIC: Survey Drone Procurement <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Direct Staff <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Mark R. Cook <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Support staff's acquisition of a survey drone for Public Works (PW). <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• For several years, PW has been evaluating potential use of survey drone <br />technology. <br />• Recent advances in LiDAR capabilities, combined with affordable data <br />processing, make survey drones viable for business use. <br />• PW has prepared a solicitation and is ready to issue a Request for Proposal. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Until fairly recently, LiDAR enabled survey drones were expensive rendering them <br />unattainable for PW consideration. We have had significant success adapting survey <br />equipment to ATVs creating cost savings. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />We believe significant cost savings are there for us utilizing survey drone technology. <br />The drone will also support the Flood Control Zone District annual work program. <br />County Surveyor Turnbull will complete flight training and we will then have both EITs <br />complete flight school allowing depth in operation. <br />We have prepared technical specifications and identified a service provider allowing us to <br />process jobs on a "per job" basis. This provides and economy of scale allowing us to <br />forecast and price drone deployment in powerful ways. The anticipated capital cost of <br />acquisition is approximately $50,000. We propose acquiring the drone now with saving <br />achieved through 2022 chip seal operations. <br />FISCAL IMPACTS: <br />$50,000 is the planning level cost estimate for drone acquisition. 2022 savings in chip <br />seal total approximately $100,000. <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />None. <br />Page 1 of 1 <br />Public Works "Work Session Staff Report", 2022 <br />