Franklin Township landscapers press commissioners on cost, safety and enforcement of proposed leaf-blower limits

The Franklin Township Environmental Commission on March 2 held a packed listening session on a draft ordinance that would impose a partial ban on gasoline-powered leaf blowers during specified seasons and time windows.

Arie Schmidt, an Environmental Commission member who presented the proposed wording, said the advisory panel intends to send the draft to the township council and asked landscapers for input before any council action. "It's our intention in the near future to send this to the township council in some format, which is why we invited you here," Schmidt said, explaining the draft would "place a partial ban during specified times of the year and specified times of days on gasoline or fossil fuel leaf blowers." (Arie Schmidt)

Landscapers and business owners who attended urged the commission to balance noise and air-quality goals with practical costs and safety concerns. "The gas powered ones are much more powerful than the electric ones," one contractor said, warning that commercial crews rely on high output to finish jobs quickly. Will of Spooky Brook Landscaping added, "you're not going to charge them for the $700 leaf blower that you're going to have to buy now," noting fleets typically keep multiple backpack blowers per trailer. (Will, Spooky Brook Landscaping)

Bruce Jagger, owner of Jagger Lawn Maintenance, questioned battery safety and mixed-fuel logistics, saying switching fleets could introduce new fire or charging hazards in enclosed trailers. "I just don't think it's very practical," Jagger said, citing 26 years in business and concerns about mixing battery chargers and gasoline cans in trailers. (Bruce Jagger)

Commissioners and technical speakers responded with possible ordinance design options raised during the meeting: exemptions or different rules for industrial or nonresidential zones (for example, equipment use beyond a set distance from residential properties), time-of-day limits, and a phased compliance period. Schmidt described draft timing as approximately "two hours in two months in the spring and two months in the fall," intended to cover peak cleanup periods when extra power is needed. (Arie Schmidt)

Commission staff clarified enforcement would be complaint driven, not proactive patrol: the draft relies on resident complaints triggering an inspection rather than routine police enforcement. Commissioners noted the council could require a grace period before the rule took effect — "six months, nine months a year from now" — to allow businesses to adapt and phase in electric equipment.

Contractors raised equity and market-enforcement concerns: smaller or "fly-by-night" operators without licenses could undercut compliant firms, and crews that work statewide must maintain mixed fleets if only township jobs require electric equipment. Several landscapers urged targeted exceptions — for instance, permitting gas-powered equipment in industrial parks or commercial properties that sit hundreds of feet from residences.

Not all technical claims were uncontested: advocates from the New Jersey Electric Vehicle Association and others argued modern commercial battery systems and solar- or trailer-based recharging solutions have improved, cost trajectories are falling, and warranties and maintenance estimates differ from landscapers' experience.

Next steps: the Environmental Commission collected written comments, encouraged affected vendors to attend any future council hearing when the council formally introduces the ordinance, and said it will consider wording changes before forwarding a recommendation to the township council. The commission did not vote on the ordinance itself; it treated the session as an advisory listening session and the council will determine whether to introduce the measure and hold formal hearings.