CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 7 Section Name: PUBLIC HEARING Account Number: 10-1311 File ID: 25-10653 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: City Manager's Office
MEETING DATE: March 2, 2026
SUBJECT:
Operation of Leaf Blowers — Ordinance Introduction
RECOMMENDATION:
Introduce an Ordinance to amend San Mateo Municipal Code Chapter 10.80 "Operation of Leaf Blowers" to prohibit the use of gas leaf blowers.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s current regulations are codified in San Mateo Municipal Code Chapter 10.80 “Operation of Leaf Blowers,” which limit the use of leaf blowers from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays. The use of leaf blowers is prohibited on Sundays and certain designated holidays. The hours of operation apply to residential zoning districts and in areas bordering residentially zoned neighborhoods. Use of leaf blowers in residential zoning districts, or areas bordering residential zoning districts, also require the operator to use a blower nozzle extension and operate the leaf blower at a low speed to minimize noise. No more than one leaf blower may be operated at a residence at any time.
Material blown by leaf blowers cannot be blown onto neighboring properties or onto the public right-of-way without being immediately removed. These restrictions have been in place since 1997.
At the October 6, 2025, City Council meeting, City Council directed staff to develop an Ordinance to prohibit gas leaf blowers, which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address air quality impacts. Additionally, the City Council provided directions on when to begin enforcement of the Ordinance, the assignment of penalties, and on the development of leaf blower hours of operation. Key changes to the Ordinance are summarized below.
The proposed Ordinance includes the following key changes:
The proposed Ordinance prohibits the use of gas leaf blowers citywide. The proposed Ordinance includes an effective date of January 1, 2027, a clean start date that would be approximately nine months after Ordinance adoption, if introduced at this meeting. Over these next nine months, staff will prioritize Ordinance outreach and education to promote compliance with the new regulations. After the City’s print newsletter distribution in October 2025 and announcement of the potential Ordinance to prohibit gas leaf blower use, there was an increase in residential electric leaf blower rebates. There has not been an increase in rebates issued to commercial landscaping businesses; additional engagement with commercial landscaping businesses will be critical to a smooth transition.
The proposed Ordinance allows the assignment of penalties to the gas leaf blower operator and to the property owner who hired or employed the services of a person or business utilizing gas leaf blowers. Note, enforcement procedures rely on administrative citations that are issued by code enforcement staff.
CITY OF SAN MATEO
The proposed Ordinance also includes three options for the hours of operation for electric leaf blower use:
1) Option 1 retains the current regulations for leaf blower hours of operation that applies to residential zones and areas adjacent to residential zones. Option 1 would mean community members and landscapers would not need to adjust their current practices. Option 1 only applies to residential zones and areas adjacent to residential zones which means other areas of the City do not have hours of operation limitations. 2) Option 2 expands the current regulations for leaf blower hours of operation to apply citywide. If hours of operation apply citywide, this would likely have an impact on commercial businesses and City operations where leaf blowers are used to clear debris from parking lots early in the morning. This would impact City contractors that clear leaves and debris early in the morning to avoid conflicts with cars and business operations. The same would be true of existing commercial and office properties, some of which are near locations which may be suitable for housing now or in the future. Option 2 provides a blanket citywide approach that would be simple to communicate for enforcement.
3) Option 3 establishes hours of operation citywide (8:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm on Saturdays) with a carveout for specific uses including commercial, office, or industrial use, or City-owned property.
This would allow specific use areas to have extended hours of leaf blower use (7:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday through Friday, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm on Saturdays) compared to the rest of the city. Creating hours of operation based on land use ensures that hours of operation are applied to every area where community members live, including in mixed-use zoning. Option 3 establishes limitations on leaf blower use in non-residential land use areas to allow for more extended hours of use. This approach would result in slightly different hours of operation on neighboring parcels within the same zoning district, which may create impacts on neighbors in some cases and could complicate enforcement.
Staff recommends City Council adoption of the proposed Ordinance after selecting one of the three options for hours of operation for electric leaf blower use.
BUDGET IMPACT:
The implementation and enforcement of this Ordinance will be integrated into the City’s existing code enforcement procedures. On average, the City has issued 23 electric leaf blower rebates and amounting to an average of $3,142 per year, supported by the City’s Sustainability Program budget. Staff anticipate budgeting $10,000 per year for electric leaf blower equipment and battery replacement in future budget cycles.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This Ordinance prohibiting gas leaf blower operations is categorically exempt from CEQA because it consists of an action to protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (Public Resources Code Section 15308.)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Proposed Ordinance
Att 2 – Proposed Ordinance – Tracked Changes
Att 3 – Public Comment
STAFF CONTACT
Andrea Chow, Sustainability Analyst
[email protected]
(650) 522-7007