Commission to consider resident vote on gas leaf blower ban
Sen. Jason Brodeur signaled he would not try to preempt the ban if commissions let voters decide its fate next year
Feb. 14, 2024
By Beth Kassab
The noise over Winter Park’s ban on gas leaf blowers intensified Wednesday at a hastily called work session for the City Commission to decide how to respond to a threat by Sen. Jason Brodeur (pictured above) to take away control over the issue from local officials.
City Manager Randy Knight told commissioners he spoke with Brodeur and the senator would be willing to drop his plan to pass a state law to prohibit all cities and counties from banning the gas devices — but only if Winter Park met Brodeur’s demands:
- Commissioners must delay enforcing the ordinance to June 1, 2025 rather than Jan. 1, 2025 as they decided last month.
- Commissioners must also place a question on the March 2025 ballot so voters can decide whether the ban should be repealed.
Mayor Phil Anderson, Vice Mayor Sheila DeCiccio and Commissioner Kris Cruzada said they would be open to following those orders, but the commission did not reach a decision and opted to consider the matter again at the next meeting on Feb. 28.
DeCiccio, who is running for mayor in the March 19 election, was the swing vote as the necessary third commissioner to potentially pass the voter referendum. Commissioners Todd Weaver and Marty Sullivan said they were against it.
Knight suggested that agreeing to the voter referendum could be the only way to keep Brodeur from attempting to pass a preemption law this legislative session, which is more than half way over. A number of Florida cities such as Naples and Biscayne Bay have already enacted bans, but even those could be thrown out by Brodeur’s legislation.
Brodeur briefly introduced an amendment on Feb. 6 in Tallahassee to preempt cities from enacting such a ban and then immediately withdrew it.
Just two days later on Feb. 8, Knight sent a text message to Brodeur asking to have a discussion, according to text messages provided to the Voice through a public records request.
On Monday morning, Knight reached out to Brodeur again and let him know that the city scheduled a work session about leaf blowers for Wednesday and referred to the idea of a referendum as if it was already a done deal.
“I have briefed all commissioners on our discussion and I feel good about it,” Knight wrote. “We don’t take public comment at work sessions but of course will when the referendum ordinance comes forward.”
“Outstanding,” Brodeur responded. “Much appreciated.”
Brodeur got involved in the issue just weeks ago after complaints from constituents escalated after the city passed a rebate for homeowners who purchased electric leaf blowers.
The ban has been around since 2022, but commissioners opted to delay its start until July of this year.
Landscape companies say the electric devices are too expensive, don’t have enough power and will bring an increased burden on their small businesses and individual workers.
Anderson said Wednesday that he recalls the survey the city conducted more than two years ago before passing the ban came back split about 50-50 in terms of support and opposition.
“I don’t know that we have 100% of the answer what our constituents want and I don’t know that Sen. Brodeur has 100% of the answer so it’s kind of an interesting idea to let the citizens weigh in on it,” he said. “It’s better than Survey Monkey.”
Commissioner Marty Sullivan expressed more skepticism.
“Even if the majority said no,” to a leaf blower ban, Sullivan said, “I think it’s incumbent on us to look to the future and do what’s right for the future. I believe this leaf blower ban is a great step forward for our city. I am hesitant about this compromise put forth by our senator.”
Commissioner Todd Weaver pointed out that the original vote for the ban was unanimous and that commissioners are elected to represent the interests of the city, rather than manage “threats” and edicts handed down from Tallahassee. He said he would rather see the question make it to the ballot because citizens gather enough signatures to place it there — an estimated 1,400 or so — rather than by a vote of the commission.
DeCiccio also said she support a citizen-led effort to put the question on the ballot next year and asked Knight to approach Brodeur to see if he would also be amenable to that option.
Knight will bring another report back to the commission on Feb. 28 when they will also take a vote on whether to allow voters the chance to repeal the ordinance next year.
The legislative session is scheduled to end the following week on March 8, which still leave Brodeur nine days to slip the preemption language into a bill if he doesn’t like the results of the next city meeting.
In recent years, Florida legislators have taken control away from municipal and county elected officials on everything from setting renewable energy standards, gun ranges, tenants’ rights, affordable housing projects and even the books on the shelves at public schools.
Anderson, who met with landscape company owners last month to hear their concerns and called a special meeting to potentially change the ordinance, is pushing the city to provide a directory of companies that have already converted to electric equipment so residents can make more informed decisions about who they hire.
“Whether we’re preempted or not, the city believes this is the right thing to do,” he said, noting he wants more resources and education available.
DeCiccio asked how bans are playing out in other cities that have enacted them for the same reasons — to reduce nuisance noise and pollution.
“They’ve all stuck with it,” Knight said. “They haven’t repealed it. They haven’t expressed that it’s been much of a challenge for them.”
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
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By: Beth Kassab
No biography available at this time
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Senator Brodeur responded to Winter Park residents. The Commissioners and Mayor keep passing Mandates that residents say no to. Commissioner Sullivan has said that residents don’t matter and “The Agenda” of the Mayor and Commissioners will move forward regardless of objections by residents. What does this tell us?
I am ALL about banning leaf blowers. As a mom of an infant that works remote running webinars, the noise pollution has messed up my day more than once!
Prepare for disappointment. The gas mowers, edgers, and chainsaws will still be noisy ….and the newly added gas generators the landscapers will now tow (to run extra long power cords for their electric blowers or to charge multiples of batteries) will sound worse than a blower. Maybe install sound absorbing panels in the room you are trying to work from. They have some fairly cheap you could set in a window sill while working and remove later.
Well, I for one would pay more to have the gas leaf blowers gone. I like what this all electric lawn service company owner says here a year ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW8llSjGDKc
Change is scary for these lawn companies but it is coming so they need to start dealing with it. I don’t mind going for a vote of the citizens and I don’t think it is necessary. IAs a general rule Tallahassee needs to butt out.
I don’t necessarily like when governments try to rule businesses. Go do their job for a day and get a better understanding of their business before changing their lives.
I thought this would not be discussed anymore this month with all the oak leafs shedding. I wonder why the private business owners are having to clean the city’s oak leaves on Park Avenue sidewalks. I know I have been cleaning the oak leaves in front of my home that are falling from the trees planted in the right of way. If the city wants to clean it up all electric go for it. Are the illusive city street sweepers electric or diesel.
Stop scolding the citizens and their lawn services form making our streets and sidewalks clean and safe. Once a better quieter option to clean the leaves is out there the market will obviously embrace it.
Let the voters decide!
The noise is out of control in our neighborhoods. From sunup to sundown, blowers, construction, and lawnmowers. We can imitate all of our neighbors’ services blowers, from the full throttle to the rev rev revvvvvvv. Not only is it annoying, but the workers’ hearing must be damaged after day in and day out of this noise.
Brodeur needs to allow local home rule, and get back to work on more important state government issues.
I am strongly in favor of allowing the issue to go to the voters. A great concept- allowing residents to determine the issue. Could actually drive voter turnout.
Jason Brodeur (who I believe won his seat through shady fake candidate tactics) seems to be using extortion to get the city of Winter Park to comply with his demands. I thought people like him believed in less government yet here he is sticking his unwanted nose into our local business. I for one am tired of the constant, 6 days a week noise of the gas blowers and welcome a change. Keep the ban.
Wow! Did you not hear that residents said no to the Mandate but Mayor and Commissioners passed it away. Senator Brodeur was asked by concerned citizens of Winter Park and professional landscapers to object to the Mandate. Personal attacks are not what we do here in Our City so Don’t End the Ban might what to take this hate back to Facebook
Instead of banning gas leaf blowers, let’s ban loud noises that disrupts our sleep and zoom activities and ban dispersing debris into any person’s eyes or nose. That would be a logical start and I am sure everyone would agree to that! Now go rake and sweep up those leaves that fell after the rain because blowing wet leaves doesn’t work!
This as an appeal to The City of Winter Park to repeal the new law that bans the use of gas powered lawn blowers. I guess that someone or some small group has discovered yet another reason to be offended by some petty thing, in this case, noise. In my opinion, along with others I’ve discussed the issue with, this law is the latest nail in the coffin of our liberties and the latest example of government overreach. The law has nothing to do with protecting the public and is frankly absurd. Shame on those that pushed this through without considering how it will affect people who rely on such equipment to get their jobs done effectively and efficiently. It’s the kind of thing I’d expect from the whack-jobs running California, but not here in Florida. I’m sure that a very audible outcry is soon coming.
Let’s look at this with some common sense:
• An electric powered blower is a great tool for blowing off your driveway or some such thing, but it simply cannot do the work of a gas-powered unit.
• The size of the unit required for large jobs is huge, and it’ fairly expensive. The batteries are very expensive. The batteries required for big jobs like lawn maintenance would be numerous, especially for lawn maintenance companies that must do several jobs every day. It is a selfish and almost a tyrannical thought to expect the citizens and the companies who do yard work to dump their perfectly fine running gas powered blowers and shell out a lot of money to then buy a high-powered electric blower and who knows how many batteries.
• Batteries have quite a limited life – did I mention they are expensive? They are also an environmental hazard. Furthermore, as far as greenhouse gases are concerned, they must be recharged – that power comes from electric power plants, or perhaps portable generators, that burn fossil fuels to generate the electricity. Not much help for the environment there.
I could go on, but I think you might be getting the point. The idea of banning gas powered lawn blowers should be shelved until proven technologies can make it practical. This law is a selfish measure put forth by people who are ignoring real-world reality. Instead of hindering the process of citizens getting their work done, the people who are offended by these tools should simply go out and purchase noise canceling headphones.