Special commission meeting called on gas-powered leaf blower ban
The City Commission will meet on Thursday to discuss next steps
Jan. 30, 2024
By Beth Kassab
Mayor Phil Anderson has called a special meeting of the City Commission for Thursday at 9 a.m. to discuss how to handle a growing number of concerns about the ban on gas-powered leaf blowers that is set to take effect July 1.
The Commission passed the ordinance in 2022, but approved a 30-month delay in enforcement to give residents and landscape companies time to prepare.
But in recent weeks, landscape companies have said they did not know about the upcoming ban and expect the cost and other impacts of battery-powered equipment to be overly burdensome.
Anderson said a meeting he had last week at City Hall with representatives from landscape companies, equipment manufacturers and one company that is already using all-electric equipment was insightful.
“That meeting was really productive with some ideas shared,” he said. “So Thursday’s meeting is to sort of process that meeting and decide what we might want to do.”
He said he still expects the issue to be discussed at the next regular commission meeting on Feb. 14.
The ban was passed as an ordinance and any changes to it such as a delay in the start date or a full repeal would require specific public notice and two votes at two meetings.
Thursday’s meeting will allow the commissioners to have an open discussion to decide what changes, if any, they want to make.
Earlier this month, commissioners passed a $50 rebate in the form of a utility bill credit for residents who purchase electric leaf blowers.
But that does little to help the companies that serve thousands of lawns in Winter Park and use industrial level blowers that can cost $1,300.
In addition to concerns over the cost of the new equipment, landscapers have said the battery powered devices will slow down their work because they are less powerful, require charging and are heavier on workers’ backs.
“To comply with this law, more equipment on the trailer means more fuel costs to haul that equipment,” read one flyer that asks people to join in opposition to the ban. “This will result in higher costs to the homeowners and the landscaping companies purchasing and running generators to charge the blowers’ batteries.”
In Florida, Naples and Miami Beach have also approved bans. The Washington Post reported recently that cities across the country have put similar bans on gas leaf blowers into place such as Washington, D.C, and Evanston, Ill. California is set to begin enforcing a statewide ban on the sale of new gas-powered lawn equipment. Naples also enacted a ban.
Electric equipment is healthier for humans and the environment because there are fewer toxic emissions and comes without the jarring buzzsaw-like grind of a gas engine.
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By: Beth Kassab
No biography available at this time
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Leaf blower hysteria has taken over Winter Park.
The ordinance on transitioning the gas powered blowers and related landscape maintenance equipment is very much an environmental and legal issue that resembles the resistance of the oil lobby on the electric car transition. As far as the landscape maintenance is concerned, there is an additional law relative to excessive noise produced by the equipment that can be used to leverage the resistance into a mandate followed by penalties. Another leverage to consider is similar to the one given home owners for compliance with their noise reduction. A financial reward or reduction in permit rates. In any case, we are a progressive city which has been the envy of many sister cities in its way of life. Let’s not kill the golden goose.
Agreed. We live in a beautiful area but all day long, six sometimes even seven days a week I hear the leaf blower noise. It needs to be calmed down. I don’t think the larger landscape companies didn’t know about the leaf blower ban. They just don’t want to make the change. It’s hard to change, sometimes it costs money but we could all have a quieter neighborhood which I welcome.
I hear more noise from constant accelerating traffic on Aloma Avenue and overhead airplanes in a landing pattern than I do from intermittent leaf blower activity during the daytime hours. This city decision will negatively impact the yard service providers and certainly trickle down to the community homeowners.
Just because there are other more obnoxious noises in our community doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to reduce/eliminate the incessant noise pollution caused by gas leaf blowers. The “service” provided by landscapers using these machines is dubious at best because the primary activity I regularly witness is landscapers blowing leaves/debris across the street only to have a different landscaper do the opposite the following day.
This change will create zero “negative impact” for homeowners
So sorry to see this/ commission needs to hear from all residents and note the hardship this will place the people who help keep our city looking beautiful.
We are not a progressive city. Nor are we a sanctuary city. We are a city of people who just want government to stop mandating how we live. This ordinance is an example of what we don’t want govern to do as evidenced by the majority vote in a poll to oppose it. Those who want to move here and change the culture should go back to from whence they came.
Totally agree. California libs invading our city.
Good! I’m glad they are keeping the promise to lower noise and help pollution. You’d have to be living under a pile of leaves not to know about this ban! People complained about unleaded gas, seat belts, and smoking and they all helped be safer and smarter.
Not getting into the fray but when a flyer implies added vehicle cost due to the weight?? Really?? And cost??
So, $500/month x 100 contacts, $600k/year. Say $25k for new equipment, small quiet generator amortized over 5 years is $400/month— one yard. Now, let’s save by less gas, maintenance, neighbors admiring your embracing technology and you win. Coughing up $25k is painful and not possible for some, I get it. But implying no benefit?
Incidentally, I’ve a gas blower for my home, just bought an electric (non-industrial $200 job). It’s about half as tough. But it starts every time, no gas, less noise, less repairs. I love it.
jts
I love John’s reply! So glad someone (who understands) has replied. If you work outside, garden, walk, run you know we have serious noise pollution in our beautiful City. There are many causes. Anything, however small, that can be done to help would greatly improve our quality of life. Gas blowers are not the only problem of course but worth an effort to help with this serious issue.
When everyone is out of power and unable to use a battery powered device, people will change their minds.
Or use a rake… they are very quiet
If we are out of power gasoline pumps don’t work. If we are without power the last thing anyone will be thinking of is blowing leaves.
Change is always challenging but it’s time has come. Noise pollution IS pollution. I am all for the ban and the transition to electric is inevitable. It’s just the cost of doing business and taking care of our community and environment. Automobiles were required to add seat belts in the past because it was good for the people yet added cost. We have all adapted to this. It’s time for the yard care industry to update its standards for the community in the areas of noise and air pollution. Winter park should be a leader in this matter. It’s already in play in south florida.
It’s a good thought, but adding seat belts didn’t make cars half as effective as they were before. Electric blower performance is terrible, full stop… and that’s before we even get to the added weight and exorbitant cost. I’m 100% ready for electric cars, tools, and equipment–just let the technology get there before forcing it on people.
How will this work when there is a hurricane like Charley and no electric for days? How soon we all forget.
I have a few rakes you or your yard crew can borrow
Who’s going to enforce this ruling? Code Enforcement? They’re already busy enough.
Are tickets going to be written? By whom? The Police Department.
This is nothing but a woke statement by the City. This can’t be enforced. And if it can’t be enforced what good is the restriction.
Hi, This was answered at an earlier city commission meeting in January and I included in a previous story (linked in this story in case you are interested). City Manager Randy Knight said the city did not plan to actively enforce the ordinance in the sense that code enforcement would not be actively patrolling for violations. The city would, however, respond to complaints as needed. The police department is not involved. That is a completely separate city function.
I don’t think this should apply to homeowners personal leaf blowers. Don’t make me throw away my small gas leaf blower that I only use once a month MAYBE to blow off my back deck. This should only apply to commercial companies.
Maybe the city should create a new program where they give out a rake for each blower traded in. I’m surprised that the backlash didn’t come sooner. Battery powered leaf blowers are nowhere near as good as gas powered.
The move to force electric anything is premature. Look at Asheville, NC. Their fleet of 5 electric busses sits idle due to a lack of parts. They can’t complete a full days route without downtime for a charge even when they are working.
I do my own lawn. I have a high quality battery powered backpack leaf blower for convenience not environmental reasons. I can barely get through my 65×175 lot on a full charge. A recharge takes 4 hours and spare batteries cost nearly 50% of the blower itself. Each commercial landscaping crew would need at least 6 batteries a day PER blower assuming they had a reliable way to charge them throughout the day. Now thing about the useful life of those batteries and the heavy metals that are mined to go into them and we are just pushing our environmental issues into another country at best or another region of our country at worse.
Time for our leaders to wake up and bring solutions that actually work instead of pushing a political/environmental agenda that will only kick the pollution can down the road while costing taxpayers more in the cost of goods and services.
I’m not necessarily in favor of this ordinance (and I say that as a homeowner who uses 100% electric lawn tools), but I also think it’s ridiculous for a lawn service to claim they didn’t know anything about this ordinance that passed two years ago. That means they’re either ignorant of city law that impacts their business or, more likely, lying. Glad the commission will have a session to consider the unintended consequences and come up with some alternatives.
This is absolutely spot on! I own the Ryobi mix of products and about 5 40v batteries, they’re $100 each. If I do my lawn, edge and blow, I use 3 full batteries. No way a company can sustain this over a day with 5-10 homes or more. It’s not possible
Well said and brings out an unintended consequence of ridiculous mandates.
I really don’t understand all the backlash against outlawing a machine who contributes to air and noise pollution. When did having no leaves on your property become a “thing.” Raking works, you get excercise while you’re at it and it also helps to loosen up the dead grass in the yards. The other item that works is a broom. And it doesn’t require gas or maintenance.
It is unrealistic to think everyone can just take their leaves. A ban on gas powered leaf blowers would be fine if there was an economically neutral alternative. Until that time if the city wishes to ban the devices, they should do so only if willing to offset the cost with a reduction in property taxes that 100% compensates the taxpayer for this foolish, unviable and ill-planned endeavor. Gas powered leaf blowers have been around for years. Banning them in a manner than creates a financial burden is irresponsible without an economically feasible alternative.
Rakes & brooms are an economically feasible alternative – landscape companies will save a fortune on energy costs and our community will be spared the non-stop noise pollution and air pollution.
Smoking in restaurants and airplanes were around for years before we figured out it was a repugnant and dangerous practice. Societies evolve and this is a perfect example of continued positive evolution.
Why have a “special meeting” if the city commission intends to allow the July 1, 2024 deadline to remain in effect? It’s likely a meeting to hash out an extension of the deadline to allow more “educational outreach”.
A special meeting over gas blowers is telling. The ordinance is Big Brotherish, Busybodyism, that is ridiculous. Just like the new rule at Winter Pines Golf, “no swearing”. Typical fare for this low-achieving group of leaders.
But they are very amusing.
Excellent.
Tolerance of noise is inversely related to level of intelligence.
Happy to know gas leaf blowers are banned. It’s almost a daily nuisance since every neighbor uses a different company to do their yard work.
My goodness, the landscape companies have had TWO YEARS to react to and prepare for this change.
That said, I did express to Mr. Weaver months ago that I didn’t think the city was doing enough outreach to landscape companies. Last week’s “landscaper summit” should have taken place a year ago. And we homeowners should have been provided leaflets to hand to our landscapers long ago.
I am wondering if the greatest pushback is coming from the big landscape companies. When I informed my tiny mom-and-pop landscaper about the change, she went out and bought an electric blower, no outrage or argument.
I hope the city will stand firm on this new law, as have 100 of the finest cities across the nation.
We live in a condo complex near downtown Winter Park. The commercial leaf blowers used to collect a few leaves every week create extremely excessive noise. It is so loud that we plan our shopping trips away from the complex around leaf blower days. The noise actually drove a new condominium owner here to sell out within months of buying a unit. A little more peace and quiet would make living in Winter Park much nicer.
Life is good when this is the biggest issue on so many minds.
Amen
I have been looking forward to the day this ban went into effect for 2 years. If not now, WHEN?!
I think we’ve made a knee jerk reaction. Ford electric F 150’s sit on the lot because they are too expensive, Ford has lost 5 billion w this endeavor. Electric blowers sound good on paper, the cost is prohibitive to landscape companies at this point in time. In time the technology and $ will make it realistic to do. Does it occur to you the home owner, the cost incurred by the landscapers will be passed on to us at approximately an extra 90-100 dollars a month! Chew on that a while! Is it worth it at today’s cost of equipment and batteries, or can we wait until our technology makes it realistic to go the electric route?
No one, and I mean no one, believes landscapers who say they did not know about the ordinance and consequently need more time. The ban is consistent with the tranquil environment Winter Park should want to promote in its neighborhoods. It is sound public policy, and the landscapers can and will adjust.
I don’t feel the city is making the right decision. I don’t think you mandate what a company can do. It’s a scary situation. I’m all for the environment but this has not been properly thought out. I’d like to see your landscape bill if your landscape company has to take the time to rake your yard and street. Who is going to pay for all these so called “green” blowers? The city will not raise taxes to pay the cost so they put the cost on the Landscape companies which in turn have to raise their prices to their customers. For some of the larger companies this will be over $100,000.00 in cost for new blowers? Is that fair? Not only that they did not look into where the source for these batteries come from? We have a coal power plant chugging away (out of view of WP) that helps with electricity-so when all of these thousands of batteries every day are plugged in to recharge where do they think this power comes from. These batteries also will not last for a full day so many batteries will have to be bought. This material is mined and sourced from overseas. When batteries die they end up in landfills forever. This was a quick decision that sounds good but was not thought out. I’m all for protecting the environment but all the facts need to be researched. I have lived in the city of Winter Park for 60 years and don’t want to be told that I can’t use my gas powered blower sitting in my garage. Next hurricane I want to see the clean up with battery powered blower’s that can’t be charged. What’s next? Only gas powered cars allowed in Winter Park? Or when there’s a hurricane no more gas powered generators? Please think this through. We don’t want to be the next California. Thank you
Federal/state/city/county governments place mandates on pretty much every single company in the country. It’s called the rule of law. If companies can’t comply with legal regulations passed via the legislative process, then they deserve to go bankrupt – welcome to American capitalism.
Well said!
Seems like a conflict of interest to be in the electric business and mandate electric blowers.
Beth is selective in the comments she allows.
We are so very sick of hearing leaf blowers on-and-off all day, almost every day. I’ve switched to battery powered lawn equipment and agree with all residents who find gas-powered leaf blowers terribly obnoxious and very frustrating. With 5 neighbors, we have had little peace and quiet for years. Kudos to the mayor and commissioners to finalize this decision! If landscape companies and home owners are forced to switch from gas to battery powered equipment…they will. They will figure it out and continue with their much needed work around town. I won’t say all change is good, but the City Winter Park is moving in the right direction on ending noise pollution.
Guys you left out other equipment that makes noise….lawnmowers, chain saws, edger’s.
Dont stop until you nit-pick everything.
Thanks!
Wiser heads seem to be prevailing on this one folks. Suck it up for the environment.
Why not stop fireworks too? They are louder and pollute the lakes, as well as scare the animals that live wild and inside.
Your comparison is extremely flawed. Are fireworks ignited 7 days a week starting at 7:30am on every street in the community? Or do they only occur very infrequently at a time that is well communicated in advance?
Because fireworks happen very infrequently at times that are well communicated to the public weeks in advance. If they took place 7 days a week beginning at 7:30am, we’d all be in favor of banning them also.
When did Electric Blowers become noiseless? I would say to all of the landscape companies that service any of these city commissioners that voted for this ban; stop servicing these people’s lawns now. Another “woke” city government.
Literally nobody thinks they are noiseless. But they are demonstrably less noisy that gas blowers and the residents of this community have a right not to have their eardrums assaulted 7 days a week starting. If landscape companies cannot adapt to a reasonable regulation passed via the legislative process, they deserve to go out of business.
Shhhhh. It’s all about the noise. So why not just enact an ordinance that all leaf blowing must be done M W F between 8-10:30 am for example. We mandate days and times for irrigation, why not have dedicated “noise free” hours? That way the people who don’t like the noise are guaranteed expected peaceful hours and days and all the landscapers aren’t leaving in mass exodus from work in WP.
After reading comments (negative & positive) and a few suggestions, have to say, the idea of compromise in addressing the noise issue is music to my ears. Would be nice knowing that the community is not opposed to a win/win solution.
See an in-depth review of research concerning the adverse health effects of noise on the brain in a 2022 article from the Journal Environment International. The research article is titled “Cerebral Consequences of Environmental Noise Exposure” and can be accessed at
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107306
This is an open-access article and summarizes current knowledge on the adverse effects of noise on the brain and its relation to neuropsychiatric outcomes. The research suggests we pay serious attention to the health side effects and consequences of life-long exposure to noise. The environmental noise guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) could help residents understand their real noise risk from being exposed to gas-powered leaf blowers in their neighborhoods. As noise pollution continues to accumulate in Winter Park (the planes, the traffic, the demolitions, the building, the renovating) health risks from noise pollution are real and some mitigation strategies are called for.
Mufflers are available for leaf blowers. If noise is the issue, why not set a decibel limit and allow landscape companies to decide how to reduce the noise?