Reflections on leaf blowers

After watching the televised City Council meeting on July 20, I would like to share some thoughts before the Council approves any ordinance banning leaf blowers in residential areas – even though a 3-2 “straw poll” favors no leaf blowers in residential areas.

1. As Councilman Edwards recommended, have those residents who have issues with the leaf blowers worked with their neighbors about their concerns? Maybe, there are solutions regarding time of day and/or length of time by working together.

2. More than likely there will be a financial impact on residents who use gardening services since more time will be needed with the gardening services provided.

3. I think it would be of value for City staff to provide the Council with a record about how the current ordinance has been implemented. How many complaints have there been? Are these complaints citywide or mainly in one part of town? How has City staff monitored the current ordinance? What will be the costs related to monitoring a new ordinance?

4. As most of us do not live on properties with a lot of acreage, there is bound to be noise in neighborhoods. Thus, trying to eliminate noise is rather futile. For example, this morning garbage pickups began at 6:00 a.m. and lasted until 8:00 a.m. since there are three different garbage trucks: garbage, recycling, and garden waste. Two hours of this truck noise is certainly more disturbing than the 10-15 minutes of leaf blowing! And, is the next step monitoring noise that kids make when playing outside or people playing music in their backyards?

Although I am not hopeful, I do encourage City Council members to carefully review the facts and implications of any changed ordinance about leaf blowers before approving it, straw poll or not.

Marilyn Kelly, Sonoma