REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on a Resolution Accepting $6,525,617 CalOES Award from the Fiscal Year 2026 Counter Unmanned Aircraft System Grant Program, Authorize the City Manager or Designee to Negotiate and Execute Any and All Documents Required to Accept and Use the Award, and Approve the Related Budget Amendment
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara (City) serves as a premier national and international event destination and home to Levi’s Stadium, major technology campuses, critical infrastructure, and high-density transportation corridors. It routinely supports large-scale events that attract tens of thousands of attendees, including professional sporting events, concerts, and the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 matches designated as Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 2 events. These events draw hundreds of thousands of spectators, dignitaries, and international media, increasing the City’s risk profile and creating a complex threat environment that may attract malicious actors seeking to exploit Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), commonly known as “drones.”
Unauthorized UAS activity within restricted airspace near stadiums, transportation hubs, and critical infrastructure poses risks to aviation safety, operational continuity, and public safety. Of particular concern is the potential misuse of unauthorized UAS for surveillance, intelligence gathering or the unlawful delivery of materials over protected venues.
Recent national reporting highlights a significant increase in unauthorized UAS activity across the United States, including near airports, military installations, and large-scale public events. Federal officials have warned that drone incursions near sensitive sites continue to rise, while Counter-UAS (C-UAS) resources remain limited. Congressional testimony indicated that although federal authorities could potentially be deployed to approximately 90,000 special events annually, protective C-UAS capabilities were used in only a small fraction of those events. Federal officials have specifically identified the 2026 FIFA World Cup and major America 250 gatherings as areas of heightened concern.
Local incidents further demonstrate that the risks are not theoretical. In 2017, an unauthorized UAS released thousands of leaflets over Levi’s Stadium during an NFL game, illustrating the vulnerability of densely populated venues and the feasibility of airborne payload delivery. More recently, in February 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of California announced federal charges against a drone operator who allegedly violated the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) three-nautical-mile Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) during an NFL game at Levi’s Stadium by flying without registration, certification, or authorization. These and similar national incidents underscore ongoing airspace violations despite existing federal restrictions.
Collectively, these developments reflect a clear national trend of increasing UAS activity and limited federal deployment capacity, reinforcing the need for enhanced local situational awareness, and coordinated response capabilities.
In December 2025, Congress expanded federal C-UAS authorities through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, establishing a framework for trained and federally authorized state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in detection and non-lethal mitigation operations under delegated authority. Concurrently, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), launched a dedicated C-UAS Grant Program to assist State and local governments in developing lawful detection and response capabilities.
In Fiscal Year 2026, $250 million in grant funding was made available to states hosting SEAR Level 2 events including FIFA World Cup and America 250 events. This grant funding was structured to be allocated to states and the states, in turn, issue grants to local agencies. In November 2025, the Police Department (Department) submitted a grant application for federal funding through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES). On February 6, 2026, the Department received a Notice of Award in the amount of $6,525,617 to support acquisition and implementation of a non-lethal C-UAS program. The City was one of five California law enforcement agencies selected to receive funding.
DISCUSSION
Unmanned Aircraft Systems have become increasingly accessible to the public, affordable, and technologically advanced, with extended flight times, improved range, autonomous navigation, payload capacity, and high-resolution imaging capabilities. While these systems have legitimate commercial and recreational uses, their widespread availability lowers the barrier to misuse. Unauthorized drone activity presents risks including disruption of emergency operations, interference with lawful airspace restrictions, surveillance of critical infrastructure, and threats to public safety at large gatherings. As the City prepares to host SEAR Level 2 events, these risks take on heightened operational significance.
Law enforcement increasingly encounters unauthorized UAS activity in the vicinity of Levi’s Stadium and other critical infrastructure. During FIFA operations, the volume of visitors, dignitaries, international media, and coordinated public safety resources will significantly increase the City’s risk profile. Currently, the Police Department largely relies on federal partners for Counter-UAS detection and non-lethal mitigation authorities. However, federal resources are limited in scope and are typically reserved for defined event windows, creating capability gaps during preparatory activities, peripheral events, and routine operations occurring outside those deployments.
C-UAS technology provides real-time situational awareness of unmanned aircraft activity, allowing trained personnel to detect, classify, and assess potential threats before they escalate. Modern systems rely primarily on passive detection methods, including radio frequency monitoring and FAA Remote ID (a digital license plate for drones), enabling lawful detection without interfering with compliant airspace operations. Early identification supports rapid threat assessment and coordinated response during both routine operations and high-profile event security deployments.
In November 2024, City of Santa Clara voters approved Measure I, which included funds to construct a facility for a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program and a Real-Time Intelligence Center (RTIC). The integration of UAS and C-UAS technology within the RTIC reflects a coordinated modernization strategy. While DFR enhances rapid aerial response for calls for service, C-UAS strengthens the Department’s ability to identify and assess unauthorized drone activity that could interfere with emergency response, crowd safety, or protected airspace during FIFA and other large-scale events. When integrated through the RTIC, the systems create a layered operational framework that supports unified command, real-time intelligence sharing, and airspace awareness during complex multi-agency deployments.
The proposed project will establish a citywide UAS detection network focused on critical infrastructure, transportation corridors, and areas of mass gathering associated with FIFA operations and subsequent large gathering events. Fixed detection sensors integrated into a common operational platform will provide a shared situational awareness picture and facilitate coordinated jurisdictional response consistent with federal C-UAS authorities. Portable systems will supplement fixed infrastructure, as needed, during event-specific deployments.
As outlined in the 2025 Military Equipment Use Report (RTC 26-85), projected acquisitions include a non-lethal mitigation drone (Category 1) to be used by federally authorized and specially trained Police Department personnel when detection and de-escalation measures are insufficient. Any mitigation capability will comply fully with Assembly Bill 481 (AB 481) requirements, and personnel will be trained and certified through the National Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Center (NCUTC), ensuring lawful, limited, and best-practice deployment.
In preparation for the June 2026 SEAR Level 2 events and to align with grant application goals, staff will work to ensure that a substantial portion of the C-UAS equipment is operational in advance of the events. Procurement of C-UAS equipment may occur through either the City’s established procurement process or the State of California 1122 Public Safety Procurement Program (1122 Program), using vetted vendors approved by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The 1122 Program permits state and local governments to acquire equipment for counter-drug, homeland security, and emergency response purposes, ensuring that both equipment specifications and pricing have been vetted by the DLA. Accordingly, staff requests City Council authorization to purchase C-UAS equipment and related services, consistent with the grant award requirements and in accordance with the procurement methods described above, in an amount not to exceed $6,525,617. Approval of this recommendation will enable staff to procure C-UAS equipment and related services without additional City Council approval in order to operationalize the program in advance of the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches.
Local enforcement actions further demonstrate the operational relevance of these capabilities. As previously outlined, past drone incursions and recent federal enforcement actions involving airspace violations at Levi’s Stadium underscore that unauthorized UAS activity remains an ongoing concern despite existing federal restrictions. These incidents reinforce the need for enhanced local detection and coordinated response capabilities.
Establishing the City’s first real-time C-UAS detection network is a proactive and time-sensitive measure aligned with FIFA 2026 operational readiness. It enhances protection of critical infrastructure, strengthens multi-agency coordination, and provides lawful situational awareness capabilities necessary to safeguard residents, visitors, and global event participants. This investment directly advances the City’s preparedness posture and reinforces its commitment to delivering a safe, secure, and well-coordinated FIFA World Cup experience and supports the ongoing DFR and RTIC programs.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The CalOES Award for the City of Santa Clara Counter Unmanned Aircraft System is $6,525,617. Minimal training and travel costs for Police Department personnel may be incurred and will be funded by the Police Department’s operating budget. The budget amendment below is recommended to recognize and appropriate the grant award.
Budget Amendment
FY 2025/26
|
|
Current Budget |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised Budget |
|
Police Operating Grant Trust Fund |
|
Revenue |
|
|
|
|
Other Agencies Revenue |
$533,126 |
$6,525,617 |
$7,058,743 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
2026 Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grant Program |
$0 |
$6,525,617 |
$6,525,617 |
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the Finance and Information Technology Departments and City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Approve a Resolution Accepting $6,525,617 CalOES Award from the Fiscal Year 2026 Counter Unmanned Aircraft System Grant Program and Authorizing the City Manager or Designee to Negotiate and Execute Any and All Documents Required to Accept and Use the Award;
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to negotiate and execute purchase orders for equipment and related services in support of the Counter Unmanned Aircraft System Program, consistent with the grant requirements, through the City’s established procurement processes or the California 1122 Public Safety Procurement Program, in an amount not to exceed $6,525,617, subject to the review and approval as to form by the City Attorney; and
3. Approve the FY 2025/26 budget amendment in the Police Operating Grant Trust Fund to recognize grant revenue in the amount of $6,525,617 and establish the 2026 Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grant Program appropriation in the amount of $6,525,617 (five affirmative Council votes required).
Staff
Reviewed by: Cory Morgan, Chief of Police
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. C-UAS Grant Award Letter
2. Resolution