As many Los Altos residents voice concern over the continued use of gas-powered leaf blowers, which have been banned in the city for more than 30 years, city staff is taking into account the perspective of local landscape companies.
Over the past few months, the Los Altos City Council and city staff have considered tightening code enforcement for leaf blower violations. Among the landscaping businesses city staff have communicated with, issues related to the power capacity of electric leaf blowers are a main worry, according to Nick Zornes, the city’s development services director.
“Staff has spoken to landscape companies in the community,” he said. “The comment we have received back most commonly was that electric blowers are not as efficient, and they do not want to spend the money on changing equipment from gas to electric. Additionally, they have a general concern of the power length of time that the electric equipment would provide them to get their work completed.”
Although usually lighter, quieter, cheaper and better for the environment than noisy, pollution-producing gas blowers, electric leaf blowers tend to be less effective in terms of air velocity and efficiency, which can result in more work and time at job sites for landscapers and gardeners.
While many residents agree that electric and battery-powered blowers are the preferred options for landscapers and gardeners, opinions are split on whether fines for violations should be the responsibility of the homeowner or the leaf blower operator.
During public comment at recent city council meetings, residents have said it’s unjust to fine homeowners for the use of gas blowers, which some claim is impossible for homeowners to enforce.
The city of Palo Alto has been enforcing code violations by fining $250 for the first offense upon viewing an individual using a gas-powered leaf blower, but Zornes said Palo Alto is contemplating changing the responsible party to the homeowner because of difficulties related to fining individuals seen using gas-powered blowers.
“Oftentimes code enforcement at the city is ignored when citing the operator, or they avoid the code officer when they arrive onsite,” he said. “It becomes very challenging to issue an administrative citation to a person rather than to a property owner that can receive notice of violation by mail.”
But the responsibility of fines can be discussed between contractors and homeowners, Zornes said, adding that it would be within the rights of fined homeowners to request hired companies pay the fines.
“The property owner would have the ability to request that the company they hired pay the fine received – that would be a civil matter the city does not get involved in,” he said.
If after being fined a homeowner refuses to pay a company for the job it was contracted for, the city is not involved in the matter – it would then be a civil issue between the property owner and the contractor.
