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New Canaan committee debates summer ban on gas-powered leaf blowers; split over hours, exemptions and enforcement
Summary
The bylaws and ordinances committee reviewed a draft ordinance that would prohibit gas-powered leaf blowers from Memorial Day through Labor Day while limiting electric blower hours; members were divided on a full ban versus time-limited restrictions and sought clearer enforcement and outreach plans.
The New Canaan Town Council bylaws and ordinances committee on Thursday reviewed a draft ordinance that would prohibit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers during the summer season — defined in the draft as Memorial Day through Labor Day — while allowing limited use of electric blowers during set hours.
Chair Hillary Ormond, who introduced the draft, told the committee the proposal "would restrict the use of gas powered leaf blowers during the summer months" and that the group had circulated an edited draft for committee review. The draft reads broadly: it would bar gas-powered blowers in the summer unless a listed exemption applies and would permit electric blowers only during weekday hours and limited weekend hours.
The ordinance includes exemptions for emergency or safety uses, storm cleanup and snow removal, operations by the town’s Department of Public Works and…
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