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Committee advances amended gas-powered leaf blower ordinance to full council after close vote
Summary
The Salem City Committee of the Whole voted 3–2 (five members voting) to send an amended ordinance restricting gas-powered leaf blowers to the full council with a positive recommendation, after adopting several red-line edits and carve-outs for public safety uses.
The City of Salem Committee of the Whole voted to send an amended ordinance restricting gas-powered leaf blowers to the full council with a positive recommendation. Councilor Halapa moved the recommendation and Councilor Davis seconded; Chair Hepworth announced, “That’s 5 members voting, 3 in favor and 2 opposed to matter carries.”
The body adopted several red-line changes before the motion, including striking language that would have exempted municipal and other government entities from the definition of 'commercial leaf blower operator.' The committee also agreed to explicitly exempt the fire department and public-school departments from the prohibition while preserving a narrow temporary-exemption process “through the mayor or fire chief” for emergency or public-safety uses. The committee then voted 3 in favor and 2 opposed to forward the ordinance to the full council.
