Leaf-blower ban back before Sonoma City Council

Sonoma officials are not only looking at banning all leaf blowers in the city’s residential neighborhoods, but also penalizing homeowners if their gardeners break the rules.

Council members on Wednesday will weigh in on whether to tighten regulations on leaf blowers after previously directing city officials to explore options for cracking down on the noisy devices. The council is expected to consider a draft ordinance that calls for banning electric and gas-powered blowers in residential areas and citing and fining both property owners and landscapers for violations.

The proposal also would limit the hours leaf blowers can be used in commercial and mixed-use zones to as little as four hours a day on weekdays. Currently, leaf blowers can be used Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.

The council isn’t expected to formally vote on any new policy until later this month. Still, the meeting is expected to draw a large crowd, with some residents pushing for tighter regulations and others urging city officials to drop the ban altogether and simply enforce existing rules that limit when blowers can be used.

“There is definitely a significant amount of opinion,” said City Manager Carol Giovanatto, noting that the council in the town of 11,000 residents has been inundated with up to ?20 emails a day on the issue. About two-thirds of the emails come from people who support tougher restrictions, she said.

It’s not the first time the devices have caused a stir in Sonoma. The issue came up five years ago, pitting landscapers and home gardeners against leaf blower opponents. After a contentious debate, the council ultimately decided to tighten restrictions on leaf blowers, prohibiting their use on Sundays and during city-observed holidays, and reducing the maximum noise level from 90 decibels to 70.

However, the debate resurfaced in 2013 when residents complained landscapers weren’t always following those rules.

Led by screenwriter and author Darryl Ponicsan, opponents organized a petition hoping to get the town to join more than two dozen cities around the state that ban gas-powered leaf blowers. They got the support of three of the five City Council members - Laurie Gallian, Steve Barbose and then-Mayor Ken Brown. However, Brown changed his mind when the ordinance came up for its second and final vote, angering residents.

Earlier this year, Gallian asked fellow council members to revisit the issue.

Opponents of leaf blowers complain the devices stir up too much noise, dust and pollution and that existing restrictions cannot be enforced. However, landscapers and home gardeners have argued they need the devices to do their jobs efficiently and said it’s not fair to punish those who follow the rules.

“I feel the ban could really hurt businesses and the residents, who are going to have high (maintenance) costs,” said Mayor David Cook, who opposes a leaf blower ban and said he wants to finally resolve the issue.

“We have an affordable-housing issue and we have a drought. We want to get this behind us,” Cook said. “We have been using a lot of city staff time.”

It’s not just landscapers and their clients who could be impacted if the council approves an ordinance. The novice gardener also would be prohibited from using leaf blowers in their yards.

“What is getting lost in the discussion is that this will affect every homeowner and individual in the residential area,” said Giovanatto, the city manager. “If you’re a home gardener, you will not be able to use your piece of equipment.”

Council member Madolyn Agrimonti, who along with Gallian and council member Rachel Hundley expressed support in a straw poll earlier this summer for a full ban on gas-powered leaf blowers and a partial ban on electric blowers, said the debate boils down to quality of life and health.

“I’m sure people will disagree with me,” she said.

Although landscapers say the devices are essential for their work, “We’re thinking about their health as well,” said Agrimonti, whose husband is a retired gardener.

She also said homeowners should be responsible for what happens in their yards. They should be fined when their landscapers violate the rules, she said.

Citations would likely be given only if there is a complaint, said Giovanatto, who’s looking into whether the city might hire an employee to enforce the ordinance or would contract with someone to fill that role. Enforcement would cost the city anywhere from $75,000 to $150,000, depending on the option.

Currently, the city relies on Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies - who provide police services in Sonoma - to handle the complaints. Deputies received 11 complaints about leaf blowers between August 2013 and July of this year. One of them was unfounded and no one was ever cited, records show.

“We’re looking at what option might be the best,” Giovanatto said. “Just calling a deputy is probably not an efficient way of doing it. They’ve got other things to do.”

You can reach Staff?Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.