Council turns over new leaf blower policy

The use of leaf blowers in Sonoma will be restricted under a tighter noise ordinance, the city council has ruled, but there will be no ban on the machine’s use by city crews.

In October the council endorsed a one-year moratorium for public works assignments such as cleaning city parks, bike paths and cemeteries. The concept was forwarded to the Community Services and Environment Commission for further study.

The CSEC found that the inability of public works staff to use leaf blowers would strain city services and create liability issues.

Milenka Bates, Public Works director, reiterated Wednesday night that resorting to hand tools for the work would add significant staff time, forcing the delay or cancellation of other projects.

“A ban will impact us severely,” she told the council. “You will see service reductions, is the bottom line.”

The local movement to ban leaf blowers became a vocal force this past fall. The machines are said to be a noisy, polluting health hazard.

The pollution element had been strongly voiced by members of the public in earlier meetings, but the issue was mentioned only nominally in sparse public comment.

Instead the city council focused on the financial and aesthetic impacts of a municipal ban.

“We have to have this Plaza look good,” said Councilmember Steve Barbose. “This is the magnet for the city. We can’t compromise service.”

Bates said that using a leaf blower is four times faster than using rakes or brooms. She projected a cost to the city of up to $50,000 annually for manual labor to replace leaf blowers.

The workload is compounded during wet weather, when leaves must be removed before they clog drains and hide path and bikeway hazards. Bates used the Fryer Creek bike path as one troublesome example. During a recent storm, “we spent four hours dealing with heavy, wet leaves. If we had to sweep, we’d still be there.”

The panel did not discuss a prohibiting residential use, but instead adopted the CSEC guidelines for restricting hours of use under the noise ordinance.

The new law will limit the noise output of all power equipment, blowers included, to 70 decibels, down from 90 decibels. Allowable hours of operation will also be cut back under the plan: for residents, Mon. – Sat., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and for commercial operators, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The current ordinance allows usage until 8 p.m.

The use of leaf blowers will be prohibited on Sunday, though other power equipment is permissible if it observes the updated noise ordinance.

Just to be clear, said Planning Director David Goodison, “You can mow your lawn on Sunday, but not operate a leaf blower.”

Councilmember Tom Rouse said he was no fan of leaf blowers, but that Bates had made a persuasive argument. “She makes a very good case. We need leaf blowers, but there need to be restrictions.”

In addition to the Sunday ban and tightening usage hours, the council prohibited the use of blowers on holidays observed by the city, and the day before and after those holidays.

It will also now be illegal to blow leaves into the street or onto a neighboring property.

Councilmember Joanne Sanders qualified her ‘yes’ vote with comments that the use of leaf blowers “is out of control. To me, leaf blowers are weapons. They’re carried around, and pointed, and used to exert force and blow things in directions all over the place.”

Sanders acknowledged the wave of public support for a ban, and lamented, “Look how long we’ve spent talked about this, and the end not we’re not going to be changing much.”

Councilmember Ken Brown answered, “I don’t think this at all a cosmetic shift. We took a major step here, and I’m proud of it.”

“I’ve seen a modification of behaviors since the council put this issue on the spotlight,” he said.

Barbose urged that although there would be no moratorium for the public works department, leaf blowers “should not be the tool of choice. It should be the last resort, not the first.”

Mayor Laurie Gallian said that a city ban would be premature. “Alternatives need to be significantly explored,” she said. “I don’t think we’re finished.”