Key West to explore regulating leaf blowers

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

Fed up with those noisy, dirt-spreading leaf blowers operating on most streets in Key West? So are most of the city commissioners.

As a result, they have directed City Manager Jim Scholl to put together an interdepartmental committee to draft a city ordinance regulating the use of the ubiquitous sidewalk-cleaning tool. The committee will be made up of city staffers.

People speaking in favor of regulating the blowers were pretty passionate about it. Dakin Weekley, a member of the city Sustainability Advisory Board, said that a 4-stroke leaf blower emits 13 times more carbon monoxide than a Ford F-150 pick-up truck. The 2-stoke blowers emit 23 times more carbon. As for noise pollution, Weekley said the World Health Organization recommends a general noise level of 55 decibels for comfort. The 2-stroke blowers clock in at 110 decibels, he said.

“Leaf blowers represent a multi-pronged attack on the quality of life and environmental sustainability of our city,” Weekley told commissioners.

Mark Songer, from local environmental group Last Stand, was equally in favor of regulating blowers.

“The city of Key West can do a better job in how we clean up our city. Regulating leaf blowers… is both a health as well as a quality of life issue,” he said.

The one vote against drafting use regulations was cast by Commissioner Billy Wardlow, whose father ran a landscaping business in Key West for 40 years. Worried that enforcing any regulations would require the city to hire a “leaf blower cop,” Wardlow pointed out that there are several state and federal organizations in the city that regularly use leaf blowers and might not be subject to city regulations.

“The housing authority, the county, the city, everybody uses them,” Wardlow said. “I think we’re going to hurt businesses to make them go ahead. I think we have enough regulations in this town.”

But his commission colleagues disagreed. Commissioner Jimmy Weekley said he would eliminate leaf blowers completely if he could, something he tried unsuccessfully to do some years ago. They stir up coral dust, he said, which can lead to respiratory problems. He advocated returning to rakes and brooms.

“You know what? Sometimes old school is best,” he said. “Part of our oath of office is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community. I see this [regulating blowers] as a means, in fact, of doing that.”

Commissioner Margaret Romero and Mayor Craig Cates came down in the middle of the debate. Romero asked that everyone look at proposed regulations “with a level head.”

“If we’re going to talk about noise and air pollution, what’s going to be the next thing? For all of us who live in line with the airport, to stop the planes from going overhead? I don’t want us to get to such a point that it’s ridiculous,” she said.

“Maybe some people would want to eliminate all leaf blowers but is that realistic or practical,” asked Mayor Cates. “So, we hope the staff could bring us some options.”

The interdepartmental committee has 90 days to submit its recommendations

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