The Manager's report back on update on leaf blowers

During the Summer and Fall of 2017 Public Works established green zones in both Green Rose Park in the Port and Bergin park in North Cambridge and the Water Department tested out the electric equipment around Fresh Pond as well. Green zones in this context are areas that are maintained by non-fossil fuel based landscaping equipment. All the equipment that was utilized for routine maintenance at these locations was battery operated and consisted of a: 60” Ride-on Lawn mower, 33’ and 20” walk behind mowers, a backpack leaf blower, and a hand held string trimmer.

Overall the lawn mowers performed well and were much quieter than the gas mowers. They were able to do all required tasks as well as the gas operated mowers. Operators were comfortable with the use and safety of the mowers. Run time was not an issue as the large batteries lasted for 5-6 hours on a full charge.

The battery-operated mower was not as powerful as the gas operated mower when mowing thick stands of grass, and was not able to go as fast and get a quality cut through a thick stand of grass when compared to the gas operated mower. The backpack and handheld equipment was less impressive. Weight, comfort of operation, run time and quality of the task that the machine was designed for were all issues. Two different types of leaf blowers were purchased.

While the weight was somewhat comparable to their gas counterparts, the configuration of the equipment and location of the batteries made them cumbersome to carry. Run time was also an issue, for both models tested. Run time was between 20-40 minutes with a charge time of up to 4hrs. As a result, the battery powered blowers were viewed as reasonably satisfactory for minor day-to-day cleanups, but for more extensive cleanups, crews found these blowers to be less powerful and less efficient and frustrating to use.

The handheld string trimmer worked comparable to gas models, but like the blowers lacked power and operating time. For all the smaller equipment, the constant swapping of batteries and the sparse availability of electrical connections lead to a significant amount of down time in terms of equipment functioning.

Potential for expansion Public Works and the Water Department intend on continuing the electric program in those areas where we piloted the program last year and plan to expand the use of this equipment to other area parks where feasible. The larger equipment performed well during the initial pilot phase and expanding the program slightly over an entire season will allow as to further test its reliability.

The Water Department also plans on incorporating electric mowers into their landscaping contract to use on the Reservation in CY2019. The potential exists to incrementally expand this program over time, but as with any plug in vehicle we need to make sure there is enough infrastructure in place before expanding too quickly. The biggest concern associated with expansion being the ability to store and charge a large fleet of this equipment.

We will continue to test and use battery operated blowers in all of our in-house managed parks, and will look at new advances in this technology that will hopefully make them more efficient and reliable as their gas counterparts.

Enforcement and Training

In September 2016, The License Commission and The Public Works Department held a Training for all city landscaping contractors along with City staff from all departments who participate in landscaping activities. They reviewed what is controlled by the leaf blower ordinance related to time and noise restrictions.

There was also a review of best practices including: • Personal Protection requirements • Be aware of where you are (abutters – schools etc.) • Avoid large dust plumes • Use longest nozzle • Stop using leaf blowers while playgrounds are in use • Do not use for construction debris • Wet where possible In addition, the Commissioner for Public Works and Chair for the License Commission created Rules and Regulations which apply to all commercial leaf blower operators in the City of Cambridge and municipal contractors.

These Rules and Regulations are currently available in both English and Spanish and are distributed to all permitted commercial leaf blower operators and City contractors. They are also readily available on the License Commission’s website. The current Rules and Regulations require leaf blower operators to use ear protection while operating the leaf blower. The ear protection must be provided by the employer at no cost to the employee.

In addition, the Rules recommend that leaf blower operators use respiratory and eye protection. If the employee requires eye and/or respiratory protection, the employer must provide it at no cost to the employee. After internal discussions and conversations with operators, the overwhelming response was that even though employers already provided the protection, the employees decided not to use it.

Notwithstanding, the Commissioner for Public Works and the Chair of the License Commission will continue to discuss whether these Rules should be amended.

The License Commission has published three legal notices in the Cambridge Chronicle regarding leaf blowers and the limitations set by the ordinance that apply to all persons using leaf blowers in Cambridge. The License Commission created a specific email for leaf blower complaints and questions ([email protected]), a specific category in See-Click-Fix, and have hired a new investigator to assist in the patrolling of the City to ensure compliance.

A draft of a “on the spot” violation ticket has been submitted to the Law Department and is in the process of being submitted for Court approval. The Board of License Commissioners holds violation hearings and issues fines, usually of $300.00 per violation which is the maximum allowed by the Ordinance.

The License Commission implemented a renewal system for commercial leaf blower operators which ensures companies continue to annually apply for a permit and reinforces training on the law with these companies and their employees.

Summary The overall experience thus far with electric equipment has been reasonably positive. Larger pieces such as the ride-on and walk behind mowers have performed satisfactorily since their size allows for batteries that can sustain a days’ worth of work. The primary drawback to further expansion is space and the electrical infrastructure needed to charge this equipment. Smaller equipment has been less satisfactory, but we continue to look at ways to make such work.

City forces will continue to utilize battery operated blowers and are exploring ways that we can begin using them in some of our smaller maintenance contracts. The License Commission is continuing to aggressively enforce the Leaf Blower ordinance and to ensure all persons are properly informed with regard to the Ordinance and the Rules and Regulations regarding leaf blowers.