Loading...
Study Session Desk ItemMEETING DATE: 8/5/13 STUDY SESSION DESK ITEM COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT DATE: AUGUST 5, 2013 TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL FROM: GREG LARSON, TOWN MANAGER SUBJECT: COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE REGULATION OF LEAF BLOWERS After the staff report was prepared for this agenda item, additional correspondence was received for the period of 3:01 p.m. Friday, August 2 through 3:00 p.m. Monday, August 5, 2013. Attachments 1 2 and 3 (previously received with staff report) 1. California Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board, Mobile Source Control Division, (2000) A Report to the California Legislature on the Potential Health and Environmental Impacts of Leaf Blowers 2. Fitz, D.R., Pankratz, D., Chitjian, M., Bristow, J., & Pederson, S., Center for Environmental Research and Technology, University of California Riverside (2006) Particulate Matter Emissions Factors and Emissions Inventory from Leaf Blowers in Use in the San Joaquin Valley 3. Matrix of Santa Clara County Leaf Blower Restrictions Attachment 4 (received with this Desk Item) 4. Public Comments received 3:01 p.m. Friday, August 2 through 3:00 p.m. Monday, August 5, 2013. PREPARED BY: Christina Gilmore, Assistant to the Town Manager Reviewed by: i _ Assistant Town Manager (l\b Town Attorney Finance N:\MGR\AdminWorkFiles\2013 Council Reports\Aug 5\8.5.13 Leaf Blower Desk Item.doex THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK From: Cheri Donnelly [mailto:CheriD©cuoertino.org] Sent: Monday, August 05, 2013 10:02 AM To: Pamela Jacobs Cc: Timm Borden; Roger Lee; Alex Wykoff; Ryan Roman Subject: FYI - Town of Los Gatos Leaf Blower Study Session August 5th Thank you, Pamela. That's great news that the Town is considering this topic. I am a Los Gatos resident and believe that responsible leaf blowing is important so that the blowers don't push leaves to the storm drain system. 1 don't know the details of the LG study session, but 1 am interested in exploring what the City of Cupertino does now and what it might do in the future about leaf blowers. Regardless of policies or ordinances I do see a lot of material directed to the streets when I am driving to and from Cupertino and Los Gatos (through Saratoga). Best regards, Cheri (Donnelly Environmental Programs Mgr. Public Works Department City of Cupertino 10300 Torre Ave. 408-777-3242 www.cupertino.org/environmental. ATTACHMENT 4 From: Larkin Bullard [larkin.bullard@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2013 1:30 PM To: BSpector Cc: Joe Pirzynski; Steve Leonardis; Marcia Jensen; Diane McNutt Subject: Please Outlaw Gas and Electric leaf blowers in the town of Los Gatos? Hi Barbara, I work from home and find the noise generated by leaf blowers to be so annoying and distracting that I can no longer work from home effectively. Between the home owners association and private residences hiring landscaping crews to maintain the common areas and private residences the use of gas powered and electric leaf blowers has become so pervasive the noise is intolerable. I cannot use the phone when the neighbors landscaping crew is onsite using leaf blowers. I've asked them to use a broom and they insist on using their gas powered leaf blowers that are incredibly load and pollute the environment to the point where we must close our windows when they are active. Despite closing all the windows in the home the noise prevents us from using the telephone until they are finished. I contacted Los Gatos Police and they informed me that the only ordinance on the books is the hours that leaf blowers can be used which is between 8am and 8pm. What would it take to ask the Town Council to consider an ordinance outlawing the use of gas powered and electric leaf blowers in the community? 1 Larkin Bullard