Town set to ban landscape tools powered by gas

Fairfax is planning to ban gas-powered landscape equipment.

After discussing the topic last week, the Town Council agreed to consider an ordinance that would phase out gas-powered tools, as well as a rebate program designed to help residents with the transition. The council suggested that gas-powered leaf blowers should be in the first phaseout period.

Councilwoman Barbara Coler said she wanted to solicit community feedback through a survey, as recommended by town staff. However, the council decided to skip that step and asked staff to instead develop an educational campaign to broadcast the information.

“We are not acting with enough urgency around these things,” Councilwoman Renee Goddard said at the council meeting on Wednesday. “I think surveys are sometimes over paralysis by analysis. I really think that we have to take leadership here and move this forward.”

The plan is a result of the town's climate committee, which had identified the ban as a goal more than two years ago, said Jody Timms, chair of the committee.

Belvedere, Tiburon, Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Larkspur and San Anselmo have all prohibited gas-powered leaf blowers — with some exceptions — and Sausalito is also drafting an ordinance.

“I think we're pretty far behind on moving on this, especially in the larger context on the global emissions and how much we need to get busy on electrifying everything,” Timms said.

Innovations in electricpowered landscape equipment have made them more viable replacements for gaspowered tools, which are noisier and produce hydrocarbons, a greenhouse gas, according to the town staff report.

The effort pairs with the town's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 100% by 2030 from the 2005 baseline, according to a staff report.

Sean Youra, an environmental official in Fairfax, said the state is considering outlawing the sale of gaspowered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, weed trimmers and chainsaws by 2024. The state is expected to make available $30 million in rebates to help residents switch to electric yard tools as well.

Youra recommended the town allocate a set amount toward its own rebate program. As an example, San Anselmo allocated $5,000 to support a trade-in program to help offset the burden of cost on residents.

As for the town's inventory of yard tools, Youra said it is estimated to cost about $27,000 for the town to con