The San Mateo City Council supports a ban on gas leaf blowers, following the footsteps of several Peninsula cities, including Menlo Park and Burlingame.
While San Mateo’s current policy allows older gas leaf blowers, it provides incentives for landscapers and property owners to switch to electric models. Since 2021, the city has provided about 100 rebates to businesses and residents, spending an average of $3,276 per year, according to a staff report. Despite the push, a staff report said that “landscaping businesses identified battery life and equipment performance as the leading barriers to using electric equipment.”
The city’s current ordinance also requires that in residential districts — and areas bordering those districts — leaf blowers operate only between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, with their use prohibited on Sundays.
Most councilmembers were in favor of extending the hours of operation citywide, however, some exceptions could be included in the final ordinance, which may not get adopted until early next year. The opinion goes against recommendations from the Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission that previously stated implementing stricter hours in commercial areas, such as downtown, could have negative impacts on businesses.
Councilmember Danielle Cwirko-Godycki said she supported stricter hours of operation even in commercial areas, stating it’s “cleaner and simpler” to have the same rules across the board.
Once an ordinance is adopted, the city will likely start enforcement within nine months, with multiple warnings issued prior to citations, which would start at $100 and go up to $500 per violation. According to the council’s comments, citations could be applied to both property owners and landscapers.
“It’s been a long time coming. I feel like this was one of the hot topics when I first started coming to City Hall 10 years ago,” Deputy Mayor Adam Loraine said. “Frankly, I was supportive of changes as an environmentally conscious resident then, I was supportive of change when I was on the Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission, and I was supportive of change in 2023 when it came before council.”
A draft ordinance will come before the council again before its official adoption, likely in the next several months.
(1) comment
Thank you, SM City Council for moving forward with this important change.
I agree with Councilmember Cwirko-Godycki - quiet hours should beneift residents of all neighborhoods, not just some.
I don't understand why certain members of Council are endorsing Sunday operation. It is nice having one day of quiet.
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