City Council approved the police Axon deal and its three drones Oct. 26 in a single vote. It also bought two lots and awarded sidewalk, paving and pond work.
Lawrenceville police will get drones that fly to 911 calls. City Council approved the department’s $835,000-a-year Axon agreement on Oct. 26.
The deal passed on the consent agenda, the list of items the council approves in a single vote. The vote was 5-0, and the minutes record no discussion of it. That is according to the draft minutes of the Oct. 26 regular meeting, now posted on the city’s meeting portal.
The same night, the council also agreed to buy two pieces of land for a combined $965,000 and awarded contracts for sidewalks, paving and a rebuilt stormwater pond.
What the police deal includes
We first reported the plan when it went to the council’s Oct. 13 work session. The Oct. 26 agenda packet carries the same proposal from Police Chief John Mullin. It replaces six separate Axon contracts with one five-year agreement and adds:
- three Skydio X10 drones with docking stations, for a Drone as First Responder program
- Axon Dedrone, which detects other drones flying in and around the city
- 10 fixed cameras for key corridors
- AI tools for officers, including Draft One, which writes a first draft of an incident report from body camera audio
- Prepared 911, which listens to emergency calls and pulls out location, weapon and suspect details as the caller speaks
Axon’s presentation says a drone launches from a fixed location at the Police Department when 911 gets an emergency call. “It flies directly to the call and provides live video to responding officers. It does not patrol randomly,” the presentation says. It also says: “This is not a surveillance tool.”
The money comes from the city’s speed zone fund, the agenda report says. Axon puts the department’s current spending at about $583,000 a year, so the new deal costs about $252,000 a year more.
Axon’s timeline has equipment deliveries starting this month and the new agreement starting in December, when the six old contracts end. The packet does not say where the drone docks or the fixed cameras will go, or when the drones will first fly.
The rest of the night’s decisions
Every vote was 5-0. The amounts below come from the agenda reports in the packet.
| Item | What it is | Up to |
|---|---|---|
| Power pole replacement | A line crew from Over & Under General Contractors for planned and emergency work on the city’s electric system, through an Electric Cities of Georgia cooperative contract | $1,100,000 |
| Southlawn Pond | Complete Site LLC to rebuild the stormwater pond on Scenic Highway (Georgia 124) near Jackson Street and New Hope Road, with a new outlet, landscaping and a fountain | $657,580 |
| Scenic Highway land | Two undeveloped lots, about 0.5 and 0.45 acres, bought at their appraised value | $625,000 |
| Pedestrian Improvements 2026 | Zaveri Enterprises to replace sidewalks and curb ramps to current ADA standards | $548,796.60 |
| 0 Simmons Street | Land in the Grizzly Parkway area | $340,000 |
| Ezzard Street paving | Cecil Key Paving to resurface about 1,500 feet of Ezzard Street between Paper Mill Road and Shoal Creek | $178,851.48 |
The three construction contracts each include a 10% contingency on top of the low bid.
Where the sidewalk work goes
The agenda report lists three projects:
- Lawrenceville Highway between Johnson Road and Langley Drive: new sidewalks and ramps, and striping
- Johnson Road between Lawrenceville Highway and August W Way: sidewalks, ramps, a safety railing and striping
- Smaller repairs on Charter Club Drive, South Perry Street, Church Street, East Crogan Street, Gwinnett Drive, Groveland Parkway, Pine Forest Drive and in the Arlington Point subdivision
Why the city bought land
The Scenic Highway lots went on the market in 2025 at $750,000. The owner later asked whether the city wanted them. An independent appraisal in September valued them at $625,000, and the owner accepted an offer at that price, the agenda report says. The city will “land bank” the property for future redevelopment.
The report on 0 Simmons Street calls it “a strategic property in the Grizzly Parkway area.” The city plans to partner with the Downtown Development Authority to redevelop the area. Neither report names a specific project.
Other decisions
- The Financial Review Citizen Committee is gone. The group had met each year since 2017 to review the city budget. Its work moves into a new Citizen 101 program, which will teach a group of residents chosen by application about all city operations, the agenda report says.
- Two Heritage Trail honorees approved. The council approved Grover Cleveland Montgomery and Dr. Fayette A. Sims Jr. for the 2026 medallions. Read who they were.
- Employee health plan renewed. The city keeps its current plan for 2027. Staff projected the total cost at $9,318,830, down $83,787, or 0.9%.
- Hood Insurance Agency honored. Mayor David Still presented a proclamation marking the agency’s 90 years in Lawrenceville.
- Two zoning items did not go ahead. A special use permit for 425 West Pike St. was tabled to Tuesday, Nov. 17. A request for 401 Industrial Park Drive was withdrawn by the applicant.
It was the first regular meeting for council member Darion Ward, who was sworn in Oct. 13. He voted yes on every item.
What it means for you
- Drones over 911 calls. Once the program starts, a drone may arrive at a priority call before an officer does. The city has not said when that will be. We will report the start date when the department announces it.
- Sidewalk and paving work is coming on Lawrenceville Highway, Johnson Road and Ezzard Street. No start dates have been posted yet. Our road construction and closures page will carry them.
- The minutes are a draft until the council adopts them, usually at its next regular meeting.
- Next meetings: the council holds a work session at 2 p.m. and a regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at City Hall, 70 S. Clayton St. Agendas are posted on Municode Meetings.
- Questions? Our page on who to call at City Hall lists the mayor, council and Police Department. For calls and arrests, see the Police and Fire log.
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