Millbrae moves ahead with gas leaf blower ban

The city used the successful transition of neighboring city Burlingame to electric-only leaf blowers as a template, but rejected Burlingame’s zoning schedule, which permits residents to use leaf blowers only on certain days of the week based on the location of their home.

Resident Ken Smith said he was optimistic about the new ordinance and the city doing its part to minimize air pollution, but requested that the City Council make it as easy as possible for residents to follow.

“I talked to my neighbors, I talked to a whole lot of people. They’re all willing to move forward and get rid of their old equipment,” he said. “Let’s just keep it simple so we’re successful. I think Burlingame has way too many restrictions, and way too many rules. We’re not Burlingame, we’re Millbrae.”

The city would also use money provided from a Peninsula Clean Energy grant to offer rebates to those getting rid of gasoline-powered leaf blowers, which could be disposed of through the South San Francisco Scavenger program, Environmental Programs Manager Andrea Pappajohn said.

She presented a residential incentive of $100 and a commercial incentive of $200.

Mayor Anders Fung said taking an incentivizing approach to encourage individuals to follow the new ordinance would be preferable to enforcement, which could become a challenge for the city.

“We want folks to stop using gasoline powered leaf blowers and change over to electric ones because they are less noisy and do not emit greenhouse gas,” he said. “In my mind, the best way to go about it is education, and incentivizing people to do the right thing is always better than penalizing people that do not.”

Pappajohn had presented a possible $50 fine for first-time violators, with potential increases for following violations. Enforcement of the ordinance would work out over time, Vice Mayor Gina Papan said, emphasizing the environmental importance of passing such an ordinance imminently.

“We need to reduce greenhouse gasses as quickly as possible. Is this going to change the entire world? No, but it is a step in the right direction. It is in keeping with state law,” she said. “This is the right thing to do now.”