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Select Board reviews draft leaf‑blower bylaw edits; board asks planner to run changes by town counsel
Summary
Board members debated trimming the bylaw timeline and whether to retain a one‑acre exception for tractor/mounted blowers; staff will incorporate minor edits, run changes by counsel, and return with a revised draft for potential inclusion on the warrant.
The Select Board discussed edits to a draft leaf‑blower bylaw that would phase out gas‑powered leaf blowers over several years. Board members debated moving some compliance dates earlier by a few months, whether fall cleanup windows should end earlier, and whether to keep an exception for tractor‑mounted or walk‑behind four‑stroke devices on lots larger than one acre.
Select Board member Jim consolidated suggested edits from community commenters and recommended some copy edits and date adjustments; colleague David Martin and others preferred leaving some intermediate dates until Dean (absent) could weigh in. Planner David (staff) said he will run copy edits and the proposed final end date change (from Jan. 1, 2030 to Sept. 15, 2029) by town counsel and return the draft to the board. The board discussed tradeoffs between a more accelerated public‑health protection schedule and political feasibility at Town Meeting.
One substantive point of contention was an exception that would allow powerful tractor/mounted blowers on lots larger than one acre during spring and fall cleanup periods. Some board members and a public commenter suggested that exception would be complex to administer and could appear to favor wealthier property owners; others noted the devices have different noise characteristics and that the lot‑size threshold merits further review.
Public comment: One caller urged the board to avoid exempting large lots because it may appear elitist; another commenter asked that the board not lengthen immunity after repeated warnings.
Next steps: Staff will incorporate agreed copy edits, consult town counsel on definitional and jurisdictional questions (including whether the town can regulate other municipal entities), and return a revised draft. The chair asked staff to provide a version suitable for Town Meeting warrant preparation after counsel review.
