1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: July 15, 2025
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Patrick Prescott, Community Development Director Marisa Garcia, Park, Recreation and Community Services Director BY: Katie Picha, Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Consideration of Options and Impacts of a Potential Citywide Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ban
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council (Council):
1) Allow the use of gas-powered leaf blowers to be eliminated through attrition; or 2) Direct staff to develop and introduce a draft Ordinance banning the use of gas - powered leaf blowers.
BACKGROUND
At the November 15, 2022 City Council meeting, then Vice Mayor Nick Schultz requested a first step report on banning the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in the City of Burbank.
On October 19, 2023, then Council M ember Tamala Takahashi requested a memorandum on the ban of the use of gas-powered leaf blowers . On September 10, 2024, staff presented a first step report on a potential ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in the City of Burbank (Attachment 2). Staff was directed to return to Council with impacts and options for a potential citywide ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.
This report presents two options for Council to consider:
(1) allow the use of gas-powered leaf blowers to be eliminated through attrition; or (2) direct staff to develop and introduce a draft Ordinance banning the use of gas - powered leaf blowers.
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
2 As of 2024, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) updated small, off -road engine (SORE1) regulations requiring new engines (Model Year 2024 or later) to be certified and labeled to meet emission standards and other requirements. Further, the regulations require all sales of new SOREs, including gas -powered leaf blowers, to be zero- emission.2 While the regulations now require new SORE models sold in California to be zero-emission, they do not ban the use of existing gas-powered SOREs.
DISCUSSION
At the September 10, 2024 Council meeting, Council requested a second step report that would provide information on potential impacts and options of implementing a citywide ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Potential impacts include replacement costs, enforcement challenges, and public health impacts. Options include whether to implement an immediate ban or pursue an alternate course of action.
Impacts of Implementing a Citywide Ban
Gas leaf blowers are used by residents, housing providers , private businesses and their employees (including landscaping companies), and the City. If the City were to implement an immediate ban on the use of existing gas -powered leaf blowers, the financial impact would affect residents, private industry, and the City. The replacement cost of one gas - powered leaf blower to a commercial -grade battery-powered version is estimated at approximately $1,450 to $5,700, plus the cost of electricity , replacement batteries , and general maintenance (Attachment 3). The increased costs of replacing gas leaf blowers raises accessibility and equity concerns, as some residents, property/business owners or housing providers, may be unable to afford the increased cost of landscaping services .
Further, these additional financial burdens may also result in hour reductions/job loss to workers if large employers scale back due to increased costs.
For the City to transition its gas-powered leaf blowers to battery -powered versions, the estimated cost is $ 185,720.72. This estimate does not includ e the additional cost of maintenance, electricity, and labor/enforcement costs (Attachment 3). The City has begun this transition through the replacement of City -owned gas-powered equipment that has reached its end of life through the purchase of new electric models. Any contractors who provide landscape services to the City will also need to transition their gas -powered equipment. This will lead to renegotiating or bidding landscaping and cleaning contracts (which typically takes several months) , if the contractor is willing to partner with the City in existing and future projects.
1 SOREs are spark-ignition engines with rated power at or below 19 kilowatts (25 horsepower), primarily used for leaf blowers and lawn mowers. However, the other equipment such as generators, lawn mowers, weed trimmers, chain saws, golf carts, airport ground support equipment, and specialty vehicles are also included. 2 The only exceptions are SORE generators and large pressure washers, which are required to be zero-emission by 2028. 3 Along with direct financial impacts related to replacement of equipment , there are also challenges and costs for the City related to the enforcement of the ban. To assist with enforcement and developing enforcement standards (e.g., visual inspection, noise levels, and to train staff accordingly), additional resources (such as staff) may be required within the Code Compliance section of the Community Development Department. It has also been suggested that battery-powered leaf blowers may not deliver the same power output as their gas-powered counterparts reducing efficiency and increasing the need for longer work hours to accommodate . Currently, Burbank Municipal Code (BMC) § 9-3-214:
Restrictions on Leaf Blowers states that any leaf blower within a residential zone or within 200 feet of a residential zone may not operate for more than 15 minutes per hour on parcels less than one -half acre and no more than thirty minutes per hour on parcels greater than one- half acre. Due to the lower power and less efficiency, it may be necessary to revise the BMC to increase the time per property to complete their task .
Implementing a ban would also require the City to renegotiate or rebid existing contracts and may reduce the number of landscapers willing to do business in the City. Lastly, the majority of property complaints received by the City are often based on poorly maintained exterior areas of properties and leaf blower noise. It is important to note that z ero- emission leaf blowers still generate similar noise levels.
Noise complaints are the largest complaints the City receives regarding leaf blowers .
Even though the sound differences between a gas -powered and a battery-powered leaf blower are miniscule, some individuals may be more sensitive to various sound frequencies3 which could make the se differences seem much larger. Gas -powered leaf blowers produce a frequency between 100- 500 Hz (sound energy) and emit an intense low-frequency sound that can penetrate walls and affect a large area. In comparison, electric leaf blowers produce a frequency above 1,000Hz, and emits a high- pitched sound. The higher frequency can travel farther than a gas-powered leaf blower and affect a larger area of the community.
There are positive impacts for public health with a ban on the use of gas -powered leaf blowers including a potential for the reduction in air pollution and a slight reduction in noise
4. However, while battery tools reduce local emissions, they rely on lithium batteries and electricity, which carry their own environmental footprints and create additional e- waste.
City Council Options
Staff proposes the following options for Council consideration:
3 Sound frequency refers to the number of vibrations (or sound waves) per second, measured in hertz (Hz), and it determines the pitch of a sound—higher frequencies produce higher-pitched sounds, while lower frequencies result in deeper, bass-like tones. 4 According to the National Institutes of Health, the decibel (dB) level for commercial-grade gas leaf blowers can range from 65 to 80 dB at 50 feet; electric leaf blowers can range from 65 to 75 dB at 50 feet. For reference, normal breathing is registered at 10 dB . Even though there is a slight reduction in noise, the difference in sound range for gas-powered versus electric leaf blowers is miniscule. 4 Option 1: Allow the Use of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers to be Eliminated Through Attrition CARB’s regulatory ban applies to the sale of new gas-powered SOREs (Model Year 2024 and later) and primarily affects the manufacturers. There are no bans on the possession, use, repair, or sale of existing equipment (Model Year 2023 and earlier), provided that the equipment complies with the CARB emission requirements applicable to those earlier models. Residents and local landscapers can continue using their existing equipment under these new requirements. However, as aging equipment reaches its end of life, old equipment will be replaced by zero-emission SOREs due to CARB’s regulations.
As of January 1, 2024, the sale of new gas -powered SOREs is banned statewide.
Residents and those utilizing gas -powered leaf blowers, or other gas -powered SOREs, for personal use or work within the City will need to replace their equipment. Economic impacts such as transition costs or job loss, battery -powered limitations, resistance and enforcement challenges , and the disparate impact on small business owners will be minimized through this option.
Option 2: Direct Staff to Develop and Introduce a Draft Ordinance Banning the Use of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
Several local cities have implemented a ban on the use of gas -powered leaf blowers, including the c ities of Beverly Hills (1976), Glendale (2024), Pasadena (2023), Santa Monica (1991), South Pasadena (2022), and West Hollywood (1986) . The City of Los Angeles also banned use of gas -powered leaf blowers in 1998, although it has been reported that there is very little enforcement effort on this ban. E ach of these bans were accompanied by rebates, enforcement mechanisms, and community outreach:
• Beverly Hills: Banned gas blowers as early as 1978 as a noise nuisance, one of the nation’s first such ordinances.
• Los Angeles: Banned the use of gas -powered leaf blowers within 500 feet of residences in 1998. Beginning in 2021, the ban was expanded to ban the use within 500 feet of residences, schools, and hospitals, as well as between the hours of 10:00pm and 7:00am.
• Glendale: Adopted a full ban on gas -powered blowers in September 2023 with citation enforcement beginning in September 2024. Glendale also introduced residential and commercial rebates and converted all municipal handheld equipment to electric.
• Pasadena: Citywide ban in April 2023 (with defined hours for electric use) was supported through state and Air Quality Management District rebates. The code compliance caseload doubled for enforcement actions relating to this ban. • Santa Monica: Enforced a complete ban until 2023 (including all power blowers) and now limits use to electric models , however, there is still inconsistent compliance.
5 • South Pasadena: Banned gas-powered leaf blowers in October 2022 backed by $25,000 in outreach funds, plus voucher and rebate programs. • West Hollywood: In 1986, the use of gas-powered leaf-blowers was banned due to noise, fumes, and dust caused by the leaf blowers. To assist with enforcement, a phone number to report violations to code compliance was established by the City; fines range from $100 to $500 with a $50 administrative fee applied.
Overall, it has been reported that these ordinances have improved urban air and noise quality while imposing transitional burdens and highlighting the need for stronger enforcement and sustained business support.
An immediate ban on the use of gas -powered leaf blowers in the City is not recommended. Adverse impacts to residents, landscapers, and the City would outweigh the potential benefits. Should Council direct staff to develop a draft Ordinance, it is recommended that the City establish a target date that provides the community ample time before enforcement begins to replace existing equipment thereby not causing an immediate financial or operational impact.
It is suggested to allow two years to transition equipment and to provide educatio n and outreach to residents and business owners. In year one, education on how to transition to zero- emission equipment, the benefits of transitioning, and resources to offset transition costs will be provided through various methods such as C ity website postings, mailers, flyers available at public counters, and one community workshop. At year two, the ban would take effect along side continuing education and outreach but would not be fully enforced until one year from the effective date . During this time, Code Compliance staff would assist with field outreach when responding to complaints by providing education materials to the resident and/or business owners about the ban, how to transition their equipment, and financial resources.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Should Council direct staff to move forward with a draft Ordinance to immediately ban the use of gas -powered leaf blowers , outreach and education will be provided to the community on the benefits of transitioning to alternative equipment and to provide sufficient notice. Outreach may include direct engagement in the field with landscapers by providing information on the ban and available rebates, a workshop where the community can learn about electric landscaping and the process of transitioning to zero- emission equipment, and the promotion of incentives, rebates, and buyback programs (Attachment 4). If the Council decides to allow the use of gas-powered leaf blowers to be eliminated through attrition, staff will actively promote the benefits of transiting to zero- emission equipment along with available incentives, rebates, and buyback programs to the community over the next five years.
6 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This report is for informational purposes only and does not qualify as a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378 as consideration of the report has no potential for resulting in a direct physical change or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
Implementing a ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers will result in additional costs to the City , estimated at $185,720.72 in one -time costs to upgrade/replace the City’s equipment and vehicles with ongoing operating costs. This does not include the recurring costs of maintenance and electricity for charging and implementation costs for enforcement measures, including staffing costs. The City may be eligible for the Commercial Electric Lawn and Garden Equipment Incentive & Exchange Program, which reduces the purchase price of commercial -grade battery electric lawn and garden equipment by up to 85%. Should Council direct staff to move forward with developing and introducing a draft Ordinance, a detailed fiscal impact will be reported, including information on any available incentive/rebate programs applicable to the City.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that Council allow the use of gas -powered leaf blowers to be eliminated through attrition. Alternatively, Council may direct staff to develop and introduce a draft Ordinance banning the use of gas -powered leaf blowers, which will be presented for Council consideration prior to the end of 2025.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – How to Transition Gardeners from Gas Powered Leaf Blowers Memorandum to the City Manager Dated October 3, 2022 (City Manager Tracking List No. 2443)
Attachment 2 – City Council Staff Report Dated September 10, 2024 – Discussion on a Ban on the Use of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers in the City of Burbank Attachment 3 – Estimated Costs to the City to Replace/Upgrade Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
Attachment 4 – List of Incentive, Rebate, and Buy-Back Programs