Gas leaf blowers banned in Sonoma

The close vote may show a divided community, but even a small difference means that Sonoma will ban gas-powered leaf blowers, effective Dec. 22.|

The final results came early, on Wednesday, Nov. 30, almost a week ahead of the Dec. 6 deadline for the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters to release the official election totals. When all the votes were counted, Measure V to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers inside city limits won by a scant 19 votes.

It decided, presumably once and for all, an issue that has been plaguing the City of Sonoma for years, at least since Darryl Ponicson put up an information table about leaf blowers at the Tuesday Farmers Market five years ago. Even a 3-2 vote to ban the blowers by the City Council in March wasn't the final word, as a public signature drive to put the measure to a public vote lead to last month's election.

Now, presumably, it's settled. The final vote total was 2,975 votes in favor of the measure, with 2,956 against.

Results announced after the polls closed on Nov. 8 showed a very close race – only 40 votes separated the Yes on Measure V voters from the No on V forces. The final count, certified by the California Secretary of State, was even closer – but still enough to sustain the measure: it met the required 50 percent-plus-one majority.

The ban goes into effect Dec. 22.

'I hope this means that the people who voted for the measure, and those that voted against, will come to appreciate the restoration of the quality of life in Sonoma as time goes on,' said Cecilia Ponicsan, who with her husband had been at the forefront of the years-long effort to ban leaf blowers.

'I was surprised it was so close,' said Sarah Ford of Sonoma CALM. 'I can tell you literally 19 minds I changed by going door to door.' She added that the close vote showed it remains a divided community.

For outgoing Mayor Laurie Gallian, who said she got into politics because of the environment, the vote was a bittersweet victory. 'The magic of this story is the involvement of the community members behind it. Sonoma CALM, they are the real winners,' she said. 'I was only asked to bring the item back and campaign for it – campaigning for myself for re-election, and campaigning for Measure V. I'm glad one of us was victorious!'

But for the landscapers who are asked to make Sonoma properties look tidy, the vote will have a very specific impact – and it could mean that Sonoma itself might look a bit different, too.

'I think we will have to use rakes and brooms,' said Fernando Coronel, who has been doing landscape work in Sonoma for over a decade. 'Probably we can use electric blowers just to clean the cement, that's all we can do.' Coronel pointed out that some of the tasks he's asked to do now, like clean out gravel beds and bark groundcover, won't be as easy. 'It's very hard without blowers. We take the gravel or the bark when we rake the leaves.'

When asked if he's already talked to his customers about the possible changes, Coronel said yes. 'I talked to some customers already here in Sonoma, to see if they want us to spend more time. But a lot of customers say, 'No, I don't want to pay more. Do whatever you can in the time you get paid. Do as much as you can, and that's all.''

Overall, it comes down to a question of time spent, and how much a customer wants to pay to get the job done. Sacrificing the powerful gas-powered leaf blowers may mean some tasks don't get done – or won't get done as well.

Paz Landscape, another area contractor, said they expect to charge their customers more because it will take more time to do the same job. They may have to buy electric or battery-powered blowers, too, to supplement the gas-powered blowers they can still use on properties outside the city limits.

Other landscapers who asked not to be named confirmed that it would probably take longer to do the same job, resulting in high costs for the homeowner – or less tidy yards.

Not all landscapers will find their work affected by the ban, either turning to electric blowers if necessary or sticking with the tired-and-true rakes and brooms that have served for generations. 'Back in the old days, people who used leaf blowers were referred to as 'mow, blow and go' guys,' said George Thompson, who has been a gardener and landscaper for 30 years as Shambhala Gardening. 'Some clients want their gardens to look like their living room, or their kitchen – they want them to be super-clean.'

'More and more, I think our landscapers should try to be more green,' said Ponicsan. 'We live in an agricultural valley. The bees are dying off. The butterflies are certainly threatened… There's nothing wrong with a few leaves left in your yard. When did Sonoma become Stepford?' she asked, referring to a 1972 film about an immaculate town populated by beautiful, robotic wives.

Since Measure V is a city initiative, Sonoma's Public Works Director Dan Takasugi is well aware of the potential impact of its passage. 'If Measure V certifies as passing, the City will convert all our gas-powered leaf blowers to battery-powered leaf blowers,' he said the day before the vote's certification. 'The Public Works Department has budgeted $10,000 for this conversion, if needed.'

Takasugi said that his department will continue to use its own staff for certain high-skills park maintenance tasks, such as at the Plaza 'because it's such a heavily used park.' But they do use a private contractor, Scandia Landscaping, to perform much of the low-skill workload such as mowing and trimming at the 17 city parks, plus the bike and pedestrian paths and hiking trails.

'I anticipate that our level of service on City parks and paths will degrade to a degree, because of the loss in leaf-blowing efficiency,' said Takasugi. 'The degree of maintenance quality degradation is unclear at this time.'

Contrary to rumor, there is no city exemption for the ban on gas-powered leaf blowers: it will apply to all landscape work in the city limits.

Contact christian.kallen@sonomanews.com.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.