Title
Postponing Enforcement of the Ban on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers - For the purpose of directing the City Manager to postpone enforcement of the ban on gas-powered leaf blowers in the City of Annapolis pursuant to O-28-23 until June 1, 2025, due to the need for residents and businesses to transition to electric leaf blowers and the time required to establish a voucher program; and generally related to the City's noise prohibitions.
Body
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
City of Annapolis
Resolution-58-24
Introduced by: Alderman Savidge
Co-sponsored by: Ald. Arnett
AN ORDINANCE concerning
Postponing Enforcement of the Ban on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
FOR the purpose of directing the City Manager to postpone enforcement of the ban on gas-powered leaf blowers in the City of Annapolis pursuant to O-28-23 until June 1, 2025, due to the need for residents and businesses to transition to electric leaf blowers and the time required to establish a voucher program; and generally related to the City's noise prohibitions.
WHEREAS, The City Council adopted Ordinance 28-23 on February 14, 2023, banning the use of gas-powered leaf blowers due to their excessive noise; and
WHEREAS, O-28-23 prohibits the use of gas-powered leaf blowers within City limits effective January 1, 2025, and there is a fine associated with violating this ordinance; and
WHEREAS, The City empathizes with the financial burden that the transition to electric leaf blowers may impose on many City landscape and lawn care businesses and City residents who do not currently own electric leaf blowers and will need to purchase them to operate a leaf blower in compliance with O-28-23; and
WHEREAS, The City has conducted research and has obtained information from the public concerning the expense of purchasing electric leaf blowers; and
WHEREAS, The City is committed to assisting lawn care and landscaping businesses and City residents in the transition to electric leaf blowers through a City voucher program providing discounts for the purchase of electric leaf blowers and wishes to provide sufficient time to businesses and residents to purchase electric leaf blowers with vouchers; and
WHEREAS, The voucher program will take several months to establish.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the City Manager is hereby directed to postpone the enforcement of O-28-23, which pertains to the regulations on gas-powered leaf blowers, until June 1, 2025, to provide time for the City to establish a voucher program that will assist residents in replacing their gas-powered leaf blowers.
SECTION II: AND BE IT FURTHER ESTABLISHED AND ORDAINED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that this resolution shall take effect upon passage.