After altering the leaf blower law in 2023, the Rye City Council is now considering even further restrictions to the season.
Republican Councilman Bill Henderson raised the proposal during the City Council’s May 7 meeting, suggesting shortening the fall clean-up season by a month and the spring clean-up season by 15 days, with new start dates of Nov. 1 and March 15, respectively.
Henderson also proposed banning the use of gas-powered leaf blowers on Sundays.
The city has been moving in the direction of limiting the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, citing increased noise and air pollution, particularly in residential neighborhoods across Rye. Electric leaf blowers are much quieter to operate, but currently lack the power of gas blowers, city officials said.
Electric blowers are allowed year-round for landscaping activities, according to the city code.
“I think it would be a good thing to squeeze the seasons, not take away the ability to use gas blowers all the way, and just permit electric blowers,” Henderson, who is running for mayor, said. “But I think that’s the direction we’re moving in and it won’t take a lot of staff time or help to do that.”
Currently, under city law, gas-powered leaf blowers are only allowed during the periods of Oct. 1 to Dec. 15 and March 1 to April 30, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.
The law was last revised in January 2023 to allow for electric blowers year-round. Henderson also helped spearhead that change.
Henderson proposed a discussion for the May 21 council meeting, and a couple of public hearings with dates still undetermined. It is unclear if residents will be allowed to comment on the issue on May 21.
He said discussing the issue is timely to get the legislation sorted before the fall clean-up season begins in October.
Mayor Josh Cohn, who is politically unaffiliated, and Democratic Councilman Josh Nathan said they’d like input from the Department of Public Works and landscapers before any official vote is taken.
Nathan, who is also running for mayor, also said he wanted guidance regarding the number of leaf blowers that are permitted to run at a time on a given property.
“I’m supportive of us addressing this,” Nathan said. “When we passed the law, we said that we would, at some appropriate time, come back to it and I think we’re around that time. It’s a good time because it’s well in advance of the season.”
Councilman James Ward, a Democrat, said he has personally heard leaf blowers running when they are not allowed to. Ward said he’d also want to consult with Rye police on enforcement and frequency of reoccurrences surrounding the current leaf blower law on the books.
Police handed out a significant increase, year-over-year, in leaf blower summonses this March and April compared to those months numbers last year, with 15 additional summonses issued this March and 36 more this April.
Violators of the current law are hit with fines of up to $250 for a first-time offense, up to $350 for repeat offenders, and up to $1,500 for third offenses, according to the city code.
