San Mateo examining ban on gas leaf blowers

“These darn things truly pollute,” Sustainability and Infrastructure Chair Cliff Robbins said. “I’m not sure why we have somehow treated them differently than all the natural gas appliances that we regulate the heck out of for new development because these are worse.”

In 2020, the commission decided against making any regulation recommendation over concerns about how the added costs and hassle would affect the landscaper industry. However, it took the issue back up at its Nov. 9 meeting, with a commission majority recommending a phased gas ban in the coming years and further restrictions on use based on city zoning to the council.

Leaf blower use is only allowed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Several commissioners suggested following Burlingame’s example of having a zoned approach. Under the model, certain neighborhoods would use commercial blowers on specific days, with a map created to show the different zones and schedules.

The state is also playing a role after it banned new gas leaf blowers and lawnmowers through Assembly Bill 1346 in 2021, which prohibited the sale of new small off-road engines in 2024.

The city also receives noise complaints about leaf blowers, with about 15 leaf blower complaints per year, according to city staff. However, it does not typically issue citations because most people comply with changes, according to staff. Several public speakers asked for more restrictions to reduce gas fumes in dense neighborhoods and noise.

While the city is transitioning to electric equipment to align with state environmental goals, it also comes with challenges in performance and cost. A city staff report noted battery limitations in leaf blowers means it only gets 45 minutes of use but needs two hours to charge, making use difficult at large parks. Electric equipment is also less powerful and requires more time for the same amount of work. Costs also remain challenging as an electric backpack blower costs $300 plus four batteries that cost $300 each, totaling $1,500 for each replacement. The city said it would cost an initial investment of $18,000 to replace the city gas blower equipment and $14,000 every two years for battery replacements. A gas-powered option typically costs $375 plus fuel. The city has an electric leaf blower rebate program it started in 2021 that provides rebates for purchases with some takers. It issued eight commercial landscaper rebates and 30 residential rebates since it stated, a city staff report said. The average rebate amount for the commercial was $311, while the residential was $75.

Robbins suggested a gas ban with some transition time and a rebate program to help mitigate hardship for landscapers and a zoned concept. Robbins said the issue was about adjusting, similar to homeowners remodel adjustment to the electric appliance restrictions through the city’s new reach codes.

I think homeowners and landscapers are just going to have to suck it up and adjust,” Robbins said. “I don’t think it’s that difficult.”

While the commission called for a ban, it did believe the city must do more outreach to landscapers and the public. Commission Kimiko Narita favored a gas ban and more research about the public health effect of gas leaf blowers. She called for comprehensive outreach to contractors and the Latino community disproportionately affected by the changes. She noted a gas ban would affect businesses every year and could potentially reduce income, as opposed to a one-time appliance change through reach codes.

“We need to be respectful and really thorough in that stakeholder engagement, or else we fail,” Narita said.

Over 20 cities in California have adopted gas leaf blower bans, including Portola Valley in 2019 and Oakland in 2020.

“Having those as really helpful case studies will provide a lot more assurance to a new council that this issue has been thoroughly researched for the third time,” Narita said.

Vice Chair Susan Rowinski said she was not comfortable with a gas ban currently. She cited the economic hardships and tight margins many landscapers face in trying to run a business but favored zoning changes to fight noise issues.

“We’ve heard from a lot of people tonight, but we didn’t hear from landscapers, and that’s key,” Rowinski said.

The City Council will have a study session on the issue in February or March 2023.