AGENDA ITEM #13
TOWN OF FAIRFAX
STAFF REPORT
August 3, 2022
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Sean Youra, Climate Action Coordinator
Janet Coleson, Town Attorney
SUBJECT: Adopt Resolution Adopting a Trade-in and Rebate Program for Landscape Equipment
__________________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution adopting a trade-in and rebate program for landscape equipment.
BACKGROUND
At its July 6, 2022 meeting, the Council adopted Ordinance 867 to regulate the use of gaspowered landscape equipment, which will go into effect on August 5, 2022. The ordinance prohibits the use of gas-powered landscape equipment starting January 1, 2023 for residents and Town staff, and January 1, 2024 for commercial landscapers.
At its June 1, 2022 meeting, when the ordinance was introduced, staff also made recommendations for setting up a trade-in of gas-powered landscape equipment and rebate program for purchasing new electric landscape equipment.
The Town’s Climate Action Committee supports the adoption of a resolution to provide rebates to residents and commercial landscapers that trade-in their gas landscape equipment for equivalent electric models to make the transition to electric landscape equipment more affordable. These rebates would be in addition to the $30 million that will be available to small landscaping businesses and sole proprietors through the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE) starting this fall1.
DISCUSSION
The attached resolution formalizes the proposed trade-in and rebate program initially discussed during the June 1, 2022 Council meeting. Details of how the program would work and what the rebate amounts would be for different types of equipment are included in Exhibit A of the resolution. These details will also be made available on the Town website upon adoption of the resolution.
FISCAL IMPACT
1 CARB regulation of new small off-road engines: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/news/carb-approves-updated-regulationsrequiring-most-new-small-road-engines-be-zero-emission-2024 2 The $10,000 for the landscape equipment rebate program has been included in the adopted FY 2022-23 budget. Staff time will also be required to develop and administer the rebate program.
ATTACHMENT
Resolution
RESOLUTION 22-__
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX
ADOPTING A TRADE-IN AND REBATE PROGRAM FOR LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT WHEREAS, the Town Council for the Town of Fairfax (“Town”) has established a Climate Action Committee, which is charged with creating and implementing the Town’s Climate Action Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Climate Action Plan includes Program R-6, related to Electric Landscape Equipment, and provides that the Town will “Adopt an ordinance to phase out use of all fossil-fuel landscape equipment” and “Seek financial incentives and technical assistance to support residents in making the transition to non-fossil-fuel landscape equipment;” and WHEREAS, the Town’s Council adopted Ordinance 867 on July 6, 2022 to regulate the use of gas-powered landscape equipment; and
WHEREAS, the Town’s Climate Action Committee supports the adoption of this Resolution to provide rebates to residents and commercial landscapers that trade-in their gas landscape equipment for equivalent electric models to make the transition to electric landscape equipment more affordable; and
WHEREAS, professional landscapers using gas-powered landscape equipment are forced to endure sustained exposure to high amounts of noise and hazardous exhaust; and WHEREAS, on October 9, 2021, the Governor signed AB 1346 into law, which bans the sale of new gasoline-powered leaf blowers, lawnmowers, chain saws, and generators (among other small off-road engines) beginning January 1, 2024; and WHEREAS, to support transitions away from gasoline-powered equipment, the State has provided $30,000,000 of incentives to help small businesses purchase zero-emission replacement equipment in accordance with AB 1346;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax adopts the Landscape Equipment Trade-In and Rebate Program attached as Exhibit A and directs staff to implement the program with all due diligence, as appropriate.
The foregoing Resolution was duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the 3rd day of August 2022, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
________________________________
Stephanie Hellman, Mayor
Attest: ________________________
Michele Gardner, Town Clerk
Exhibit A
Landscape Equipment Trade-In and Rebate Program
Trade-in of gas-powered landscape equipment
Residents and landscapers who wish to take advantage of the rebate program can bring the following gas-powered landscape equipment (drained of any liquids) to Fairfax Lumber & Hardware, where a dumpster will be provided by Marin Sanitary Service:
• Leaf blower
• String trimmer (i.e., weed whacker)
• Hedge trimmer
• Edger
• Pole saw
• Chainsaw
• Push mower
• Riding mower
Any equipment that is dropped off must be traded-in for equivalent electric landscape equipment that must be purchased at Fairfax Lumber & Hardware. No other materials or products are allowed to be dropped off at Fairfax Lumber & Hardware.
Rebate for electric landscape equipment
Residents and landscapers will be eligible for a rebate on the purchase of new electric (either corded or cordless) landscape equipment once their gas-powered landscape equipment has been traded-in at Fairfax Lumber & Hardware and they have brought in their completed rebate application that must be provided to Fairfax Lumber & Hardware staff upon checkout. The discounts for both residents and landscapers for each type of equipment are provided in the table below.
Equipment Type Residential Discount Commercial Discount Leaf blower 50%, not to exceed $125 70%, not to exceed $280 String trimmer 50%, not to exceed $75 70%, not to exceed $210 Hedge trimmer 30%, not to exceed $55 50%, not to exceed $200 Edger 30%, not to exceed $30 50%, not to exceed $150
Pole saw 20%, not to exceed $60 40%, not to exceed $300 Chainsaw 30%, not to exceed $75 50%, not to exceed $225 Push Mower 40%, not to exceed $160 60%, not to exceed $360 Riding Mower 10%, not to exceed $300 20%, not to exceed $1200 Additionally, a 50% discount for up to two extra batteries will be provided to commercial landscapers that purchase at least one of the equipment listed in the table, not to exceed $500 in total for the batteries. Alternatively, commercial landscapers can receive a 50% discount on a commercial backpack battery, not to exceed $680.
Rebates are limited to two units of equipment per resident and four units of equipment per commercial landscaper. Residential rebate applicants will need to provide a residential utility bill to qualify for the rebate. Commercial landscaper rebate applicants will need to provide an active Fairfax business license to qualify for the rebate. However, exemptions may be provided by the Town Manager or designee on a case-by-case basis for landscapers that do not have a Fairfax business license by providing other supporting documentation that they have customers located in Fairfax.
Rebates will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis until all funds are expended. Further details about the trade-in and rebate program including the rebate application will be available on the Town website.