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Oak Park to enforce full ban on gas-powered leaf blowers June 1; outreach and buyback planned
Summary
Village staff told the board the phased ban on gas-powered leaf blowers goes into full effect June 1, with stepped-up enforcement, contractor registration outreach and a May 31 buyback event with local Ace Hardware stores.
Jonathan Birch, assistant village manager and neighborhood services director, told the Village Board on May 20 that Oak Park will implement the final phase of a phased ban on gas-powered leaf blowers beginning June 1.
Birch said the village adopted the phased approach in spring 2023 and allowed limited use in fall, winter and spring during the transition. He said that after two summers of primarily educational outreach — in 2023 no tickets were issued and in 2024 only two tickets were issued late in the season — the village plans stricter enforcement this summer, using a dedicated code inspector to respond to complaints.
The nut of the update: enforcement will prioritize education but shift to routine ticketing once the ban is in effect, and the village is expanding direct outreach to landscapers,…
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