Leaf blowers prompt ‘multipronged’ approach

City Manager Gabriel Engeland presented policies for council members to consider, including changing criteria for violations, introducing ordinances for proactive enforcement and modifying municipal code violation administrative citations.

While city staff initially suggested citation upon first offense, Mayor Sally Meadows opposed the idea, and council members emphasized the importance of education before punitive action. 

Fligor suggested that homeowners should be equally responsible as tenants who employ gardeners who use gas-powered leaf blowers. 

“We will obviously update our type of literatures that we provide the community when we are educating, and I think that’s very important,” said Nick Zornes, the city’s development services director. “Obviously we, I do know, have done that with our registered business license holders of landscape companies. We have informed them previously that gas-powered leaf blowers (are prohibited), but again, the business license administrator is not in the field enforcing that – they simply can’t. It’s going to be a multipronged approach for how we’re able to actually provide education.” 

Los Altos resident Thomas Chapman opposed fining homeowners, recommending instead fining the operators of gas-powered leaf blowers.

“I just want to voice my opposition to the fining the homeowner piece,” Chapman said. “I don’t understand the mindset behind fining someone that wasn’t directly responsible for the bad behavior. … If the code says knowingly that if the homeowner doesn't know that the individual is using a gas-powered leaf blower, then how can they be held liable for something that is done on their property?” 

Councilmember Pete Dailey proposed the idea of a rebate program for purchasing gas-powered leaf blowers, which range in price from $200 to $700 at major hardware stores. Dailey specifically asked whether a rebate program with GreenTown Los Altos,

a nonprofit organization that encourages environmental stewardship, would be a possibility. 

“The city hasn’t partnered with them,” Zornes said. “If we want to, we can obviously do that as a part of our continued education, especially with code enforcement, informing property owners and if there’s known operators that need to be further educated.” 

Councilmember Lynette Lee Eng added to the idea, proposing a citywide effort. 

“We would encourage people to turn in their gas leaf blowers and get an electric leaf blower,” she said. “I would like to even talk about allocating some money in the budget for doing stuff like that before we work on creating all these things about neighbors tattling on neighbors.” 

Zornes said money from the Los Altos Environmental Commission’s allocation could be used for a rebate program if the council agreed. 

“You can do that during this upcoming budget season,” Zornes told council members. “Obviously I would then look to the city manager to be able to structure that with the council and what we integrate.” 

Los Altos resident Steven Kramer complained about leaf blowers from a noise pollution perspective and offered a solution that would eliminate gas emissions and noise pollution: banning all leaf blowers in Los Altos. 

“I’m going to go a little bit further than the recommendations. … What I would recommend is that we get rid of all blowers,” he said. “We need a change in the way we view our property, that our outside environment doesn't have to be manicured the same way our living rooms are.” 

After public comment and input from council members, city staff will return to the council at an unknown date to further discuss the implementation of leaf blower citations and municipal code violations.