Administrative
Report
N.2., File # 24-0152 Meeting Date: 2/20/2024
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: TED SEMAAN, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
TITLE
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING ALLOWING USE OF BATTERY-POWERED
LEAF BLOWERS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council recently made a referral to staff to prepare an item to discuss amending the Citywide ban on leaf blowers and allow the use of battery-powered devices. The current leaf blower ban has been in effect since August of 2018 following City Council’s adoption of Ordinance 3180-18.
The Ordinance was revisited by City Council in 2022 following a referral to staff to bring an item considering exceptions to the ban. Reference was made at the time to the numerous Public Works projects impacted by the prohibition and the potential for efficiencies in ongoing municipal property maintenance. On September 20, 2022 the Council deliberated on the subject and voted to keep the prohibition in place.
Since that time, California Assembly Bill 1346 was signed by Governor Newsome banning the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers beginning January 1, 2024. Following approval of the Assembly Bill, a variety of commercial battery-powered leaf blowers have become available that offer significant advantages over gas-powered devices in terms of noise and exhaust emissions.
Battery-powered leaf blowers would provide additional convenience for residents and firms conducting contracted work in the City. Electric leaf blowers would also significantly reduce the time it takes Public Works personnel to manually collect debris from public right of way areas and would offer a means for residents with physical limitations to conduct basic property maintenance that they may struggle to complete otherwise.
It is recommended that the City Council provide direction on any proposed changes to the Municipal Code concerning leaf blowers.
BACKGROUND
On July 10, 2018, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 3180-18, which prohibited use of all leaf blowers in Redondo Beach. The prohibition impacted Public Works Operations’ efficiency, staff time allocation, and contracted work that had previously utilized leaf blowers.
On September 20, 2022, the Council revisited the leaf blower ban and unanimously voted to make no
N.2., File # 24-0152 Meeting Date: 2/20/2024
changes to the Ordinance.
On December 12, 2023, the Council made a referral to staff to prepare an item to consider allowing use of battery-powered leaf blowers.
The primary concerns regarding use of leaf blowers are noise, gas engine exhaust, and dust. Battery -powered leaf blowers emit zero emissions and produce less noise. From an operational perspective, leaf blowers allow City staff, and contracted firms, to collect clippings and debris up to five times faster than doing it manually. For example, the Public Works Department currently spends approximately 7,500 hours per year manually collecting debris from landscape maintenance operations, compared to the estimated 1,500 hours spent annually on this task prior to the adoption of the leaf blower ban. Residents may also benefit from the additional convenience of using batteryoperated leaf blowers while performing property maintenance functions. In cases where residents have physical limitations, using a battery-operated leaf blower may be the only practical option to perform certain basic tasks.
NOISE
Attached are two charts illustrating various levels of noise measured in decibels (dB), along with examples of activities that create certain amounts of noise. A typical gas-powered leaf blower creates noise in the range of 95 to 115 dB, with some industrial models being even louder.
For reference, with noise measurements taken from 50 feet from the source, 50 to 60 dB is considered “Moderate” noise, 70 to 80 dB is considered “Loud” and 90-110 dB is “Very Loud.” Anything over 120 dB is deemed “Painful” or “Dangerous.” A typical battery-powered leaf blower creates noise in the range of 65 to 85 dB.
In signing Assembly Bill 1346, Governor Newsome banned the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers as of January 1, 2024. While units sold prior to that date can continue to be used, all future blowers sold must meet zero-emission standards. The California Air Resources Board has published a list of battery-powered blowers that meet the new standard (see attached). Staff has researched the recommended products available and found that many would be suitable for use in City maintenance operations as they possess up to 500 minutes of battery runtime, produce a moderate 59 dB of noise, and can cost less than $500.
EMISSIONS
Gas-powered leaf blowers produce a significant amount of pollution. They emit a variety of air pollutants, including hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds. Reports show that one gas-powered blower emits an amount of pollutants comparable to that of a small car. Battery-powered leaf blowers run on rechargeable batteries with zeroemissions, resulting in a significantly reduced environmental impact.
Attached are several recent articles comparing the use of battery-powered to gas-powered leaf blowers in terms of noise and exhaust. Consumer Reports tested a number of gas and batterypowered blowers and concluded that battery-powered machines are superior. While performance is comparable, battery-powered blowers are considered superior due to noise and emission reductions.
Forestry.com states that, while electric blowers are far from perfect, they are a positive shift in how landscaping is approached in terms of environmental responsibility. HomeQuestionsAnswered.com states that while manual collection is clearly the best alternative for the environment, it may not be practical for large maintenance operations and that battery-powered leaf blowers provide a
N.2., File # 24-0152 Meeting Date: 2/20/2024
practical for large maintenance operations and that battery-powered leaf blowers provide a reasonable balance between sustainability and productivity.
Also attached is data from the Police Department regarding enforcement of the leaf blower ban in the 13-month period between January 2023 and January 2024. During that time a total of 513 calls for service were received, 89 warnings were issued and 36 citations were written. In many cases, the violating operator is no longer on-site when the responding officer arrives.
CURRENT ORDINANCE
The ban on leaf blowers is contained in Section 4-24.507(c) of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code, as follows:
4-24-507 Domestic Power Tools
(c) It is unlawful to operate any motorized leaf blower in the City at any time.
Should the Council decide to allow battery-powered devices, or introduce any other adjustments to the current Ordinance, staff will return with an item to make the appropriate modification to the City’s Municipal Code.
COORDINATION
The Public Works Department coordinated this item.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the preparation of this report. It is estimated that the prohibition on leaf blowers requires 6,000 additional labor hours for the completion of regular City maintenance functions. The hours impact is equivalent to more than three full-time Public Works personnel positions and has an annual estimated value of roughly $300,000, as the total annual cost of a Park Caretaker is $94,511.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
· Noise Decibel Charts - MDHearingAid.com, Pinterest.com · Noise Impacts, Storables.com, January 14, 2024
· Emission Impacts, YardLifeMaster.com,
· California Air Resources Board - Zero Emission Cordless Leaf Blower Listings · Online Articles - ConsumerReports.org, Forestry.com, HomeQuestionsAnswered.com · Police Citation Overview - January 2023-January 2024