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Council to extend gas leaf blower ban pending regional feasibility study; policy debate set for early 2027
Summary
City staff recommended extending Highland Park’s current ban on gas-powered leaf blowers while a regional feasibility study completes; councilmembers discussed a possible extension through Sept. 30, 2027 so the fall season is covered if a 2027 decision is made.
Highland Park city staff told the council May 27 they recommend extending the current ban on gas-powered leaf blowers while a regional feasibility study is completed and presented in the first quarter of 2027.
Megan Cherry summarized the city's regulatory history: a 1999 seasonal prohibition, a regional working group created in 2021, and the current 2023 ordinance that bans gas-powered blowers nine months of the year (permitting use only in April, October and November). Cherry said the consultants (the American Green Zone Alliance and Quiet Communities) completed field work in April and will complete another round in the fall, with findings expected in late 2026 or early 2027.
Council member Littlemore urged that, if the council extends the current ordinance, the extension should run through Sept. 30, 2027 so the fall 2027 season would be covered if the feasibility study is completed in Q1 2027. City Manager Newkirk said staff intends to bring the consultant report to a committee of the whole in Q1 2027 and that the council could change effective dates later if it decides to pursue a total ban in 2028.
What happens next: Staff will return with the feasibility report and a policy discussion is planned for early 2027; the council may consider an ordinance to extend the current ban before year-end to avoid a regulatory lapse.
