Residents may notice a drone flying over parts of Crandall Wednesday morning, but city officials say there is no cause for alarm.
The City of Crandall announced that a city-approved drone flyover is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The flight is part of an effort to update and improve the city’s Public Works Geographic Information System, commonly known as GIS.
City officials issued the advance notice so residents would know the drone activity is authorized and connected to municipal work.
The project is intended to improve the geographic information and mapping tools available to the Public Works Department.
GIS technology allows infrastructure and other physical assets to be associated with precise locations on digital maps. This offers city employees a more organized way to manage information about the systems they maintain.
The drone project also fits into a broader infrastructure-management goal already identified by Crandall.
The city’s comprehensive planning documents call for creation of a GIS database of existing infrastructure and integration of GIS-based asset inventory software. The stated goal is to give officials better information about the age of infrastructure and when improvements or replacements may be needed.
That type of information could become increasingly important as Crandall continues to develop and additional demands are placed on streets, drainage, water, sewer and other municipal infrastructure.
Crandall’s Public Works Department is responsible for overseeing construction and maintenance of city infrastructure.
More accurate mapping can give crews better information when maintaining existing systems, planning projects or responding to problems.
The city did not announce any closures or changes to normal city services associated with Wednesday’s flyover in its public notice.
Officials characterized the drone work as an effort to improve the tools and data employees use to serve residents, describing the project as “taking a higher view to better serve you.”
Residents who see the drone between 8 and 11 a.m. Wednesday should therefore be aware that the aircraft is being used as part of an authorized City of Crandall Public Works mapping project.
