Decision on future of gas-powered leaf blowers expected near year’s end

Local limitations on gas-powered leaf blowers may continue past a looming expiration date, according to a conversation Wednesday night in Highland Park.

North Shore officials guiding regional leaf-blower regulations said during a Wednesday, May 27 Highland Park City Council meeting that they are considering extending the current nine-month seasonal ban on gas-powered leaf blowers past December 2026 sunset date, as a feasibility study examining the effectiveness of the rules continues.

The Regional Leaf Blower Working Group — which includes officials from Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe and Highland Park — is expected to review the study’s findings in late 2026 or early 2027 before potentially recommending a complete phaseout of gas-powered leaf blowers by 2028.

According to Megan Cherry, management analyst for the City of Highland Park, the working group’s consultants, the American Green Zone Alliance and Quiet Communities, are in the midst of the study of electric leaf blowers that will show “several data points including run time, noise levels and equipment performance.”

Consultants reportedly completed a round of field work in April and plan on conducting another round in the fall. Cherry said they anticipate gathering their findings by late 2026 or early 2027, around the time that the current ordinance is set to expire, and unveiling them during a Highland Park Committee of the Whole meeting during the first quarter of 2027.

At that point, she said, a total ban beginning in 2028 may be suggested, while an extension of the current ban would cover a gap in between.

“This feasibility study will play a key role in discussions pertaining to a total ban on gas-powered leaf blowers,” Cherry said. “Staff is recommending that we extend the current ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, so that there is no lapse in regulation of this equipment.”

Leaf blowers in Highland Park

Highland Park first enacted a seasonal ban on gas-powered leaf blowers in 1999, prohibiting the use of them from May 15 to Oct. 15 of each year.

That changed in 2023 to a nine-month yearly ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, limiting their use to April, October and November in support of electric alternatives. In each community, certain exceptios — such as golf courses and park-district properties — exist.

The initiative began as a recommendation from the Regional Leaf Blower Working Group, which was formed in 2021 and examined the environmental impact of these leaf blowers in the region.

To enforce the extended ban, the city reviews reports of potential violations by inspectors visiting the property to gather information, leave informational material and attempt to speak to the property owner. City inspectors have issued citations to violators of the ban.

In addition, the city has had third-party inspectors conduct two city-wide sweeps per month from May to September in search of violations. The city has communicated the ordinance with residents and landscapers about the ordinance through its digital newsletter, website and more.

“I think [the current regulations have] been beautifully carried out,” Councilmember Annette Lidawer said on Wednesday. “It’s been studied and a lot of time has been spent to make sure that everyone will comply with the ordinance.”

Lidawer added, “I think that an extension [of the current ordinance] is a wonderful idea, so that we are not without an ordinance. Since the feasibility study should be done in the first quarter of 2027, and since the months that we talk about usage is in the fall, I would like to see it extended through September 30, 2027, so that the total ban could take effect in the fall of 2027 assuming the feasibility comes back and we have enough time.”

To Lidawer, the extension seems like an unspoken “must,” considering the council has been on the topic for several years.

“We have been studying this [gas-powered leaf blowers] for five years,” Lidawer said. “So, this [feasibility study] would give us additional data points to bring us completely up-to-date, technologically speaking. I’d hate to see the current ban be put off for another whole year or season.”

Mayor Nancy Rotering was on board with the extension suggestion, leaving the potential for a total ban open to further discussion based on the study’s findings.

“We can certainly extend it, then change the date if we want to move forward with the total ban,” Mayor Rotering said.

A future policy discussion will be made for the council to make their “most informed decision,” City Manager Ghida Neukirch said.

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