Dear Mayor Nash, Vice Mayor Wolosin, and Councilmembers Combs, Mueller and Tayor,
(As I write this letter on Martin Luther King day I have gas blowers in stereo from properties in my neighborhood ruining my concentration.)
Gas powered leaf blowers are a well-documented menace to public health. With
* state law prohibiting the sale of new gas blowers passed last fall,
* the increasing chorus of cities in the Bay Area who have implemented bans,
* the testimonies of citizens and pediatricians at the council meeting last November 16 which were unanimous in supporting a ban, and
* the recommendation of your own Environmental Quality Commission,
the question of whether to ban gas blowers in Menlo Park should be settled.
With general agreement for a ban, the question to be addressed is enforcement. Without adequate resources and penalties, a ban on the books might not be very effective.
I have talked to code enforcement officers in two Bay Area cities that have bans: Los Altos and Los Gatos. I have included my notes from these conversations. To summarize, I think the following enforcement features will be necessary:
* one to two code enforcement officers working part time on the gas blower ban, one of whom patrols the city for violations
* Citations and fines to homeowners as well as gardeners. Homeowners are more stable in their tenure, are more accountable to the city, and are the ones directing the work to be done.
* Fines increase with each subsequent offense, up to a maximum.
* Accept video evidence from residents on a city website complaint form
In addition, I recommend the city reach out to homeowners and offer education about
* the harm caused by gas blowers (noise and pollution),
* the unfairness of imposing uncompensated cost on neighbors,
* the benefits of not blowing leaves off of planted soil,
* the benefits of converting lawn to native garden,
* the benefit of using a mulching mower rather than blowing leaves and clippings off lawns
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Hook
Menlo Park resident.
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Notes from conversation with Allen Meyer, code enforcement officer for Los Gatos.
12/6/2021, talked with Allen Meyer, code enforcement officer. I submitted a "complaint form" inquiring about enforcement and was called back within minutes
Ban in effect since July 1, 2015. Warnings for 6 months, then citations. 2nd, 3rd, 4th and up offense: $100, $200, $500
Have yet to eliminate them. During COVID enforcement stopped, now getting back to it again
There are two code enforcement officers. A woman works part time. She drives a town RAV4 around and cites operators.
Citations are levied against homeowners AND operators.
A leaflet is handed out in English and Spanish informing of the ban
Homeowners have not changed their aesthetics much. Still have lawns and shrubs and want them cleaned of leaves.
Allen has a mulching mower - it is a plastic attachment to a regular mower that recirculates the cut grass into the blades, creating a fine mulch.
Gardeners prefer battery to corded electric. They don't want the hassle of tripping over cords. They say gas blowers are still the most time efficient, which is why they are used despite the ban.
The town has no financial incentive program to help gardeners switch to battery.
Allen says 2 officers are needed for gas blowers (70% of time) and other code enforcement (e.g. hoarding, unreg. vehicle, lack of building permits)
They accept video evidence provided by citizens on complaint form.
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Notes from conversation with Karan Mahli, code enforcement officer for Los Altos
Los Altos has had a ban on gas blowers since 1991. Unlike Palo Alto the ban applies to all property in the city, including commercial, city-owned property and residential. Punishment for violations is very soft, little more than a warning. Karan spends maybe 5-10 of 40 hours in a work week addressing blower violation reports. He gave me reasons for enforcement to be targeted to the homeowner, not the gardener.
1. Citing the gardener requires getting a valid ID from them, something many do not have.
2. The maintenance company and / or personnel may change, and the new company or operator may be ignorant of the ban.
3. The property owner is easy to identify, is a party responsible to the city, has a deeper pocket and very likely a longer tenure.
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Bay Area cities with gas blower bans
* Berkeley,
* Portola Valley,
* Yountville,
* Alameda,
* Mill Valley,
* Los Altos,
* Los Gatos,
* Palo Alto,
* Oakland
Bay Area cities considering gas blower bans
* Hayward
* American Canyon.
