Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Regulation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates banning gas leaf blowers but cites enforcement challenges; educational campaign suggested
Summary
Councilmembers discussed whether to prohibit the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers after a resident request and a change in state law banning future sales. Staff warned enforcement would be resource‑intensive and recommended public education and code‑enforcement reporting options instead.
The Hawthorne City Council discussed a resident request to ban gasoline-powered leaf blowers at its Jan. 28 meeting and heard staff caution that enforcement would be difficult.
A city attorney summarized recent state legislation that prohibits sales of certain gas-powered landscaping tools, noting the law “is mainly ... because it contributes to climate change” and that localities may choose to prohibit use. Councilmember Montero and others said the early-morning use of blowers by landscaping contractors—often before local allowable start times—has been an ongoing nuisance.
City staff warned that enforcement would require prioritizing limited code‑enforcement resources. The city manager recommended an outreach and education campaign and suggested adding a noise-complaint or leaf‑blower category in the city’s 311 system rather than immediate ordinance enforcement. The clerk and managers clarified the city’s current noise rules: weekday construction noise may start at 7:00 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday start times are 9:00 a.m., and violations may be reported to code enforcement.
Council corrected staff’s earlier statement that the city had five code-enforcement officers; the clerk clarified there are four. Several members urged better contractor education—adding noise rules to business-license renewals—and recommended posting permit and noise rules on the city website and 311 app.
Why it matters: A ban would align local rules with statewide efforts to reduce emissions but would create new enforcement workload and calls for the city’s limited code-enforcement staff. Council members generally favored education and clearer complaint channels over immediate prohibition.
What’s next: Staff will pursue outreach and website/311 updates and consider adding noise complaint categories to the 311 system; council did not introduce an ordinance at this meeting.
