Gas Blowers Banned
"a. Portable gasoline-powered leaf blowers are defined as portable power equipment that is powered by a self contained fuel engine and used. . ."
15 Portable gasoline Powered blowers.
a. Portable gasoline-powered leaf blowers are defined as portable power equipment that is powered by a self contained fuel engine and used in any landscape, maintenance, construction, property repair, or property maintenance for the purpose of blowing, dispersing or redistributing dust, dirt, leaves, grass clippings, cuttings and trimmings from trees and shrubs or other debris.
b. Gasoline-powered blowers prohibited. Use or operation of portable gasoline-powered leaf blowers within the city for any purpose except testing noise levels is unlawful and shall constitute an infraction, punishable as provided by law. (Prior code § 10-5.07)
Police crackdown on leaf-blower noise
By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer
www.latc.com/2002/02/20/news/news7.html
Los Altos - 2/20/2002
Los Altos residents are making more noise over leaf blowers, again. The gas-powered garden tools are the target of a city crackdown police plan to launch this month intended to educate residents about the leaf blower ban put in place 11 year ago.
"It seems like the town has gotten rather lax in allowing gardeners to use leaf blowers," said Los Altos resident Myra Orta, who led the original campaign to ban leaf blowers and is part of the current educational effort. "Little by little, gardeners are creeping back in again and taking advantage."
Los Altos Police Chief Don Johnson said the city responds to about 200 leaf blower violations each year and spends about 100 hours processing the complaints. The number of complaints reached as high as one per day during December 1998, according to police records.
"That's quite a bit of time we invest," he said. The city wants to reduce those numbers, as well as maintain neighborhood quiet, he added.
Advocates of the original campaign to ban leaf blowers helped develop the current education effort, which will include the distribution of informational brochures and media outreach.
Orta said she believes the introduction of new gas blowers that operate at lower decibels has created some confusion.
"People think if they operate a little quieter, no one's going to notice them," she said.
The ban is not just about noise-levels, she said. The city banned gas blowers for several reasons, including noise and pollution issues. Electric leaf blowers are allowed, she added.
Under city law, gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited. "Use or operation of portable gasoline-powered leaf blowers within the city for any purpose, except testing noise levels, is unlawful and shall constitute an infraction, punishable as provided by law."
A violation of the ordinance is a misdemeanor and carries a fine. The fine increases for repeat offenders.
Los Altos passed the law in 1991 after residents launched a campaign to rid "the machines from hell."
For more information about the current crackdown, call the Los Altos Police Department at 948-8223.