Snowmass hears pushback on potential gas-powered leaf blower ban

Snowmass Town Council took public comment on a draft ordinance Monday prohibiting commercial operators, homeowners associations and government entities from using gas-powered lawn equipment starting in 2028, with a general public ban to follow.

The ordinance defines gas-powered lawn equipment as lawn and leaf blowers powered by gasoline, diesel or oil fuel, according to a staff report submitted to council prior to the meeting. The decision follows a recent citizen initiative petition filed with the town seeking to move Snowmass Village to the use of electric-powered lawn equipment. After initial consideration, council previously directed staff to return with an ordinance draft, which they did June 1.

“This is simply to get the temperature of council,” Town Attorney Jeff Conklin said.

Snowmass Mayor Alyssa Shenk added, “Really, this is an exploration … It’s more a discussion and a learning session.”

According to the report, the state of Colorado adopted a regulation for front range communities in 2024 establishing emission reduction requirements for lawn and garden equipment that restricts certain state agencies, the federal government, local governments and any contractors with those government entities from using gas-powered lawn and garden equipment between June 1 and Aug. 31 annually.

Carbondale and Aspen have also each effectively prohibited gas-powered leaf blowers through noise ordinances. Boulder “made a considerable effort towards adoption of a similar ban, but ultimately never adopted an ordinance after pushback from the business community,” the report states.

Kevin Von Ohlen of Cmz LLC said the draft ordinance “blindsided” him and his business partner.

“There’s no easy transition for this,” he said.

He noted it would cost his small company $175,000 to change their whole fleet over to electric, not taking into consideration a portable generator. He added it would cost an estimated $800 to $1,500 per battery.

Chessie Stokes of Mighty Mouse echoed the sentiment that asking small businesses to take on additional costs, following a slower winter and going into the 2027 airport closure that is anticipated to further impact businesses, was unrealistic.

“This was really concerning as a small business owner,” Stokes said. “To ask us to take on additional costs is terrifying.”

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Von Ohlen and Stokes also highlighted that compromising the ability of commercial operators to clear leaves on lawns directly increases Snowmass’ fire risk.

“Fire mitigation purposes on the fall leaf cleanup is very important for this town,” Von Ohlen said. “It needs to be done with gas-powered blowers at this moment.”

Longtime Snowmass Village resident John Wilkinson, who originally brought forth the petition, spoke in response to public comment and stressed that noise from gas-powered leaf blowers was “very disturbing” for other residents and their pets, emissions were a credible concern and that appropriate technology was available to make it possible.

“Asking for a simple transition to create a healthy community, not only as far as the gas and emissions go but as far as sound goes, I don’t believe is unreasonable or is asking too much for our community and for our commercial operators,” Wilkinson said.

Town Manager Clint Kinney noted that the town of Snowmass Village’s fleet includes both gas and electric leaf blowers, but even town staff have expressed concern over what it would take to shift to fully electric.

“I’ve talk to the team, they’ve got the same concerns,” Kinney said. “It wouldn’t be a cost issue for us, but it would be an absolute operations issue for us.”

Town is replacing gas leaf blowers as the equipment fails with electric versions, but the timeline on that is more feasible than it would be with a ban across the board.

Council Member Cecily DeAngelo acknowledged the challenges that exist for commercial operators to switch over and said she was open to considering a longer timeline of consideration for most lawn equipment, but noted that many residents have shared concern over leaf blowers in particular in Snowmass and, because of that, it should be seriously addressed.

“By not addressing that one thing, we’re not listening to our residents,” DeAngelo said of switching to electric-powered leaf blowers. “That’s my biggest concern.”

Council Member Britta Gustafson responded to DeAngelo by saying, “I’m hearing a much bigger concern of affordability … There can be lots of undue hardships that come out of a great idea.”

DeAngelo suggested that town and companies like Holy Cross Energy should be responsible for helping with funding for commercial operators that need to switch over and can’t carry the cost themselves.

“I think we have potential for a ballot issue,” she said. “We should try to compromise on this because the ballot issue could be a lot more onerous.”

Council ultimately asked those who made public comment to speak directly with town staff and requested staff to provide more data on overall cost potentials and what other communities have been doing in their own transitions to electric-powered lawn equipment in order to develop better strategies for Snowmass going forward.

“We all live next door to each other,” said Mayor Alyssa Shenk. “I do think that a compromise is possible.”