River Forest officials agree they need to address the problems with the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in the village but are still trying to identify the best path forward.
“This is the future,” village President Cathy Adduci said. “We’ve got to figure out how to get there. There are a lot of moving parts.”
Officials spent a good part of the Oct. 28 village board meeting wrestling with the issue, sparked by recommendations from the sustainability commission to create an incentive for landscaping contractors to commit to electric leaf blowers and to restrict all users of gas-powered leaf blowers to half speed between June 1 and Oct. 1 each year.
Contractors making the commitment to electric leaf blowers would receive a reimbursement for their annual license fee and be listed on the sustainability section of the village website as a company committed to only using electric leaf blowers. Seth Jansen, management analyst, said the license fee is $125.
Jansen explained that contractors have indicated that electric blowers are not as efficient as gas-powered blowers, which would make it more difficult for most spring cleanups and definitely fall leaf removal, especially if the leaves are wet.
The sustainability commissioners first tackled the issue in April 2023, a month after Oak Park voted to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. That ban takes effect on June 1, 2025. Commissioners continued discussion at multiple meetings this year while soliciting input from residents and from landscape contractors licensed in the village through online surveys.
Jansen said 66% of residents who responded to the online survey expressed concerns about noise; 47%, air pollution; and 24%, health issues. Another 35% expressed no concern. Respondents were allowed to select multiple options. In response to another question, 47% favored a ban on gas-powered blowers and 43% were against it. The remaining 10% said they wanted a ban that would only apply to landscapers.
Four contractors who attended the June meeting and two contractors who attended the September meeting expressed concerns about the impact of switching from gas-powered to electric blowers. Their comments and those from 23 contractors who responded to an online survey commented on the lack of power of electric blowers and the short battery life. One contractor said the largest issue is the battery powered blowers are not efficient for large jobs, often needing more than six hours of battery power for a day of work, Jansen said in a memo to officials. In addition, the contractor said most packs require two batteries and require backup batteries. He also said batteries need to cool after charging and be stored in an area generally cooler than their equipment trailers during most days.
Jansen said one contractor who spoke at a commission meeting said his firm stopped working in Evanston after that city adopted a ban and he is planning to raise his rates in Oak Park when that village’s ban goes into effect.
In response to a question from Trustee Erika Bachner, Jansen said state officials are researching a grant program that would provide financial assistance to contractors needing to switch from gas-powered to electric blowers, but it would not be expected until 2026.
Trustee Katie Brennan said she was not surprised that contractors are opposed to any type of restriction and suggested giving them time to phase in the changes.
“They have to replace their equipment anyway,” she said. She also noted that many of the contractors who work in River Forest also work in Oak Park and therefore must be already taking steps to comply with that village’s ban.
Brennan also advocated a total ban with a longer lead time and said she believed the half-speed ban in the summer would be difficult to enforce.
“Why allow gas blowers in the summer?” she asked. “They’re not needed.”
Trustee Respicio Vazquez asked if residents realize that any action the village takes will increase the amount the contractors will charge.
In response to a question from Trustee Ken Johnson, Jansen said electric blower batteries last 45 minutes at full power.
Trustee Lisa Gillis suggested that staff members contact other municipalities that have already enacted bans, citing Evanston and Wilmette. She said even those from out-of-state could be contacted.
Brennan noted that 77% of the residents who responded to the online survey want the village to act but village Administrator Matt Walsh admitted that response rate was small. In comparison, the contractor response rate was 33%, Jansen said.
“We’re all in agreement this is the way to go,” Adduci said.
The issue was only for discussion purposes and no vote was taken.
Adduci said trustees were asking for further research, specifically contacting other municipalities. Walsh also noted that the commissioners have expressed an interest in continuing to study the issue.