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Leaf Blower Issues
Poll Summaries 2009, 2006 & 2005

CdM Residents Assn Member & Community Correspondence

CdM Residents Assn Landscape Equipment Poll 2009

Results
  1. 567 emails sent to CdMRA Members (77% of membership; 9% of all CdM households)
  2. 104 responses received (18% response rate; our highest ever recorded)
  3. 71% of respondents were from the Village; 21% from planned communities
  4. 55% want an outright ban; 85% want to either ban or limit emissions, days/hours, or decibels on residential usage
  5. 15% do not support any changes on residential usage
  6. 44% also wanted to limit commercial usage in some way; 43% did not answer that question
  7. An independent statistician reviewed the sampling and the results and confirmed there was a 95% confidence level that
    these data were valid within a 7 point margin of error (meaning that as few as 77% and as many as 92% of CdM residents
    would favor a more restrictive policy change.

Following is a sample of some of the comments received from the poll:

(CdM Village Southeast) – Leaf Blowers 2009
I do not have a gardener but I have to use a blower several times a week for one purpose only - - to rid
my front "yard" and sidewalk of the droppings of the huge  eucalyptus belonging to the city - especially
at this time of the year. I'm considerate about what time of day the blower is used, but there's too much
debris to use a  broom. Without that type of  tree, I would think street sweeping could be cut way back
or eliminated entirely.  Just a thought........    

(Jasmine Park) – Leaf Blowers 2009
I would like to see these tools banned from CDM. I don't let my gardener use them in my yard. Many
(most?) gardeners have taken to using the blowers to clear leaves from planted areas which also lifts
everything else that is loose (soil, etc.) into the air to settle elsewhere. They also attempt to move
leaves, etc., over a wide area where a great deal of dust is simply scattered everywhere. IMO, the
gardeners have become lazy and use these things when a broom or rake would do the job much better
and cleaner.

(CdM Village Northeast) – Leaf Blowers 2009
We live on the 400 block of Narcissus and hear leaf blowers every day all day long except for Sundays.  
Thank goodness for Sundays, the only day I can truly enjoy my front yard.  Not only are they loud but the
smell that comes from them makes me ill.  When they are in my neighbors yard doing the gardening they
spend the whole 1 1/2 hours ( and yes it is 1 1/2 hrs long) blowing everything with their leaf blowers.  I
have to shut every window in my home and I can still smell the fumes.  Please BAN them from this city.  
We live in a very crowded area, especially the village, to be having these noisy and pollution blowers
going through out the day.  What a difference this would make for this city.

(CdM Village Northeast) – Leaf Blowers 2009
Leaf blowers are an anathema to peaceful living in a small village such as Corona del Mar, Balboa
Island, Lido Island, and the other more densely-populated areas of Newport Beach.  This fact is
demonstrated most effectively by the gardeners themselves, who wear protective earpieces and face
masks as they spend hours blowing dust and dirt around, while the residents are forced to retreat into
homes and close the windows – or leave home altogether -- to escape the noxious exhaust, dirt, dust
and 120 decibel engine noise.  The airport’s noise and pollution are of great concern to our city;
however, the noise and pollution caused by these gasoline powered atrocities called leaf blowers in
our neighbors’ yards each and every day are thousands of times more obnoxious and offensive than
anything generated by the airport.  Other cities have banned them.  So should ours.  PLEASE BAN
THEM!!

(Harbor View Hills) – Leaf Blowers 2009
Every Saturday the leaf blowers arrive and for two or three hours the peace of the neighborhood is
shattered by their incessant roar. Can you please do whatever is in your power to stop the use of these
anti-social devices?

(Shore Cliffs) – Leaf Blowers 2009
The use of blowers is getting out of hand in Shore Cliffs; the noise and dust they create is becoming
well nigh intolerable.  I suspect this is the case throughout the City.  An aggressive effort by CDMRA
would be effective in getting the City Council to take action to restore peace and quiet to our
neighborhoods.

(CdM Village Southeast) – Leaf Blowers 2009
Here is the link [which contains information about landscape equipment from a group in Sacramento].  
http://www.nonoise.org/quietnet/cqs/leafblow.htm


CdM Residents Assn Landscape Equipment Poll 2006

Landscape Equipment Noise - City Ordinance Modification - October 2006
Would you support a modification to our existing City Ordinance in an effort to reduce noise in and
around our neighborhoods from the use of various landscape equipment?  

    •  12 = Ban the use of gas equipment in CdM
    •    9 = Establish more stringent standards
    •    8 = Limit the days and hours of operation
    •    3 = No change to existing ordinance
    •    1 = No Opinion

10% of those polled by email responded to this question.  Most were in favor of either eliminating the
use of this equipment and/or adopting more stringent restrictions in our City ordinance.  (Current
Ordinance allows motorized construction/landscape equipment to be operated Monday-Friday from 7:00
a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.  No operation is allowed on Sundays or Holidays.

Again, a number of people questioned whether tighter restricts would work since we don't enforce the
hours of operation in our current ordinance.  The City's response to that statement is to make sure that
Code Enforcement is called so that a record of the violation can be logged and a citation issued.  
Without residents making this call, there is no way for the City to enforce every ordinance every time.  
Code Enforcement can be reached at 949.644.3215.

Those in favor of banning or restricting the use of equipment also cited environmental issues (air
pollution as well as noise pollution) as reasons to enforce or tightening the current ordinance.  

One of the respondents included this quote in her response:
According to a March 2006 news release from the South Coast AQMD
"These machines are a significant source of smog-forming emissions,” said Roy Wilson, Governing
Board Vice Chairman of the South Coast Air Quality Management District and Riverside County
Supervisor.  “In one year, the average two-stroke backpack leaf blower emits as much pollution as 80
new cars.”

http://www.aqmd.gov/news1/2006/CoachellaValleyleafblowerevent.html


CdM Residents Assn Landscape Equipment Poll 2005

Leaf Blower Use & Noise - December 2005
Should all landscape power tools, lawn mowers, edgers, hedge clippers and leaf blowers be required
to have mufflers to lower noise to reasonable levels?
    •        Yes =   29
    •        No   =     3

The majority of responses we received support an outright ban; some supported more noise
restrictions on their use in residential zones and some thought it was inappropriate to restrict the use
of these trade tools.  Other comments included:
    •   Are city employees exempt from the law?
    •   Please be fair to the landscape maintenance workers.
    •   We respectfully disagree that leaf blowers should be banned.
    •   Get rid of them now!
    •   I say ban them now.
    •   No gardeners at all on weekends.

It is our hope that more of you will comment on the issue so that we can formulate what we believe to
be a community consensus to be presented to the City Council for consideration. While the ratio of
those that support a ban is significant, we do not feel the current number of respondents is enough to
sway our city leaders. For those of you that have yet to comment, please send us your thoughts. As you
consider your position, consider that several cities have completely banned Leaf Blowers in residential
zones, such as Laguna Beach, Malibu and Beverly Hills to name a few. Huntington Beach and Irvine
have specific Leaf Blower ordinances requiring Leaf Blowers to have mufflers to reduce the noise
impact on neighbors.     

Mail Recap – Landscape Equipment (2006 Poll Responses)

Neutral on this one.  But how about some noise ordinance on air conditioners?  I recommend updating
the building code to not allow new construction to have exterior air conditioners.  They look terrible &
are annoying to neighbors.
================
Great idea to limit strength of sound (don’t know how you police that-like the police officer in Laguna
who issues tickets to Harley’s using a noise meter?) but at least limiting the days and hours of use
would be nice, although perhaps make it difficult for the gardeners to schedule their work.  They work
very hard and I have no idea if this would be a large hardship for them.
================
I would completely support a ban on leaf blowers and mowers in CdM. Trying to work at home, the noise
from landscaping is very disruptive. Not to mention, pollution from leafbowers and lawnmowers, and
gas fumes from landscapers driving into the neighborhood, reduces air quality.  If implemented, the
City should help homeowners with examples of gardens and landscaping which do not require mowing
or pruning, which are H20 and California friendly, so people have options.
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NOISY EQUIPMENT - yes, I think there should be standards for the equipment which could involve
features such as mufflers. But how can you require this without going after the Saturday motorcycle
road warrior crowd - it seems like those with the loudest exhaust become kings of the road.
================
I feel very strongly that CDMRA should adopt an ordinance to eliminate the use of ALL non-electric leaf
blowers AT ALL TIMES in Corona del Mar. Corona del Mar's small lot size, density, and limited
landscaped yard space should all be adequate reasons to contend that the use of a rake or broom
(versus a leaf-blower) would not significantly impact the amount of time required to remove residential
leaves and debris.  
===============
Sadly, although the reduction in noise and pollution would improve our quality of life, I doubt that many
involved in Newport Beach's political decision-making process would be brave enough to support such
an assertive ordinance.  So, as an alternative I propose:
1.   The complete ban of all two-stroke engine leaf blowers, (the type of engines that burn oil and gas
simultaneously, producing excessive noise and pollution in comparison to other types of engines are
readily available.), and,   
2.  A weekend ban (Including the ENTIRE day Saturday), of all non-electric blowers, edgers / "weed-
whackers",
lawnmowers, hedge-trimmers, chainsaws, chippers, etc.
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PLEASE, at least allow us to enjoy our weekends in Corona del Mar without the obnoxious noise and
smell of a revving leaf blower, a grinding edger, or any other equipment with a comparably disturbing
decibel level!
================
According to a March 2006 news release from the South Coast AQMD:
http://www.aqmd.gov/news1/2006/CoachellaValleyleafblowerevent.html  “These machines are a
significant source of smog-forming emissions,” said Roy Wilson, Governing Board Vice Chairman of the
South Coast Air Quality Management District and Riverside County Supervisor.  “In one year, the
average two-stroke backpack leaf blower emits as much pollution as 80 new cars.”
In a 1999 Orange County Grand Jury report entitled "Leaf Blower Pollution Hazards in Orange County",
the Orange County Grand Jury took action to make recommendations that would "improve the quality of
life in Orange County ," and recommended that cities, school districts, community college districts, and
the County stop using gasoline-powered leaf blowers in their maintenance and clean-up operations.   
The major findings of this report show that:
* Toxic exhaust fumes and emissions are created by gas-powered leaf blowers, edgers, and similar
equipment
* The high-velocity air jets used in blowing leaves whip up dust and pollutants. The particulate matter
(PM) swept into the air by blowing leaves is composed of dust, fecal matter, pesticides, fungi,
chemicals, fertilizers, spores, and street dirt which consists of lead and organic and elemental carbon.  
* Blower engines generate high noise levels. Gasoline-powered leaf blower noise is a danger to the
health of the blower operator and an annoyance to the non-consenting citizens in the area of usage.
Landscape firms and gardeners will argue that the leaf blower is an essential, time-saving tool that has
enabled them to offer services at a much lower cost than if they had to use rakes, brooms, and water to
clean up the landscape. However, cities that have banned leaf blowers altogether have not seen costs
rise significantly.
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The landscape noise is a problem.  I don't think passing an ordinance is the answer.  Some gardeners
use their blower for 5 to 10 minute clean-up and some go on for 45 minutes to an hour. I would like to
think the people living in the neighborhoods would take personal responsibility to control their own
gardener's.  What about enforcement of the prior to 7:00 a.m. work ordinance.  It would be nice to take a
quiet walk prior to 7:00 a.m.  The construction crews are out on construction sites by 6:15 sometimes
working by 6:30 and alot of trucks running with music playing.  It makes no sense to make more rules
when you can't enforce the ones you have
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I would like to see the machines for leaf blowers banned in this city.  Not only is the noise pollution
very, very loud but the fumes from them actually make you very nauseous.  Starting work at 7:00 in the
morning doesn't always mean 7:00.  Many times the workers show up at 6:30 with their radios blaring
and wait until 7:00 to start their drilling, hammering, etc.  It is way too early in the morning to be waking
up to this noise.  Is it possible to make it an hour later?
===========
CdM should definitely back any plan to abate noise from landscaping equipment...they are in constant
use all over cdm and really impact daily life in a very negative way
==========
I'm surrounded by construction projects (like most in CdM) and have found that the noise really begins
at 6:30 a.m. when the workers arrive. Car doors slam, loud conversations, etc. I would like to see a
change to not allow arrival at a construction site prior to 7:00.  I would also like to see the elimination of
garden blowers or very tough restrictions on the level of noise and also on the removal of debris.
Right now, too many yard workers simply blow the debris into the gutter/storm drains or someone else's
yard rather than actually disposing of the waste.
===========
I am not in favor of changing the current city ordinance on Landscape Equipment noise.
===========
Yes - Use of machinery and equipment should be limited to Monday thru Friday only - 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.
m.  Non-compliant equipment should be banned.  Especially gas powered leaf blowers.  Whatever
happened to the broom and dust pan.  These Gardeners are lazy.
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Mufflers on the blowers required and days and hours of use.
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I would support a complete ban on gas-powered blowers.
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I am so pleased to know that others are requesting an ordinance to ban leaf blowers! I have written to
the city, and Assemblyman Van Tran has done so as well. Laguna Beach has an ordinance prohibiting
leaf blowers. My pet peeve for sure.
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Support controls
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ABSOLUTELY NEEDED, ESP AT AREAS THAT MIGHT BE ADJACENT TO CONSTRUCTION SITES AS WELL!
’m very interested in noise pollution from landscaping equipment.
============
Restrict hours/days of operation - We live across from Inspiration Point and the City workers sometimes
start their blowers at 5:30 AM.The noise from local gardeners doesn't bother us.
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I would support banning the use of leaf blowers in CDM. These noisy machines fill the air with dust
particles and who knows what else. They often simply blow debris from one area into another. Many
gardeners have gotten a bit lazy and are using them at full power to move large patches of garden
debris and to clean out flower beds which causes additional noise and air pollution. I've asked my
gardener not to use the blower in my yard.
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Yes; standards, restricted hours, ban of certain equipment
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Yes, restricted hours
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Yes; standards, restricted hours, ban of certain equipment
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Yes; ban certain types of equipment
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Yes; ban certain types of equipment
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Yes; ban certain types of equipment
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Yes; ban certain types of equipment
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Yes; standards, restricted hours, ban of certain equipment
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Yes; ban certain types of equipment
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Yes; standards, restricted hours, ban of certain equipment
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Yes; restrict hours and enforce standards
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Yes; cease using due to health impact; willing to appear before City Council to support this change.
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No change
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With our doors open allowing the wonderful ocean breezes to flow through we also get all the noise
pollution as well. (Cars, planes and leaf blowers.)  Wouldn’t it be nice to at least not have the irritating
sounds of the gardener’s leaf blowers, etc. on the weekends. Is it possible?  A lot of areas prohibit
gardeners on the weekends. Corona del Mar would benefit with a little bit of peace by  keeping the
noise from the leaf blowers to Monday through Friday. .
Let’s get some peace around here
=============

Mail Recap – Landscape Equipment (2005 Poll Responses)

I strongly agree that leaf blowers should be abolished; Beverly Hills did it over 10 yrs ago.
Ban leaf blowers & SUVs.  Thank you for Newsletter
===========
Strongly support doing something about leaf blowers.  
Leaf Blowers:  NB should follow other cities’ lead and adopt an ordinance to eliminate these unpopular
tools
===========
City should not allow leaf blowers
===========
Hi - just my two cents' worth on the leaf blower topic.  I think they're obnoxious, and should be banned,
and replaced with rakes and brooms.  I'm willing to pay a little more for quiet gardening that doesn't
produce noise and air pollution.
===========
I hate to be a Scrooge during this wonderful Christmas season but just have to send thanks right now.  
Your 'Leaf Blowers' article hit a nerve.  I've observed the mis-use of these implements for years.  Used
properly they can be fairly quiet and convenient.  However, most gardeners use them as you suggest;  
to blow debris away--into a neighbor's property or the street-- creating noise and air pollution in the
process.  Some gardeners like to rev the engines like old boys rev the engines on their muscle cars
just to hear them.  I remember Lavena Hayton testifying alone before a Newport Beach City Council
meeting years ago advocating the ban of leaf blowers.  Of course, the gardeners present disagreed but
she made good observations.  I wish somebody in my family would develop a muffler, if nothing else, to
make these machines less intolerable.  In the meantime, a good broom and picker-upper is the
preferred method by this gardener.  
==========
I received your recent newsletter and would like to respond to the issue of leaf-blowers in Corona del
Mar.  Both my husband and I are very interested in an ordinance in prohibiting leaf blowers, as in effect
in Laguna Beach.  We live in the village and resent the noise associated with them.  We also object to
our neighbors’ leaves being blown onto our property. We prohibit our gardeners from using blowers
out of respect for our two next door neighbors. We appreciate your interest in gathering interest for
this.  
==========
Are city employees exempt from the law?  The leaf / sand blowers and lawn mowers start around 6:00
AM at Inspiration Point and sometimes as early as 5:30.
==========
I think Leaf Blowing noise should be limited or banned and I think drivers should slow down on Corona
Del Mar streets.  My wife and I have a dog and child on the way and are fearful about cars tearing down
Marigold Ave where we live.
==========
Though I regret the noise of 1/2 horsepower, their use should be allowed but restricted to shorter
hours than by the City Municipal Code. I'd favor permitting them only during weekdays and Saturday
from 8 to 5.
===========
I am a resident of Harbor View Hills South, and I want to voice my support for a leaf blower ban or, at
least, noise restrictions on gardening power tools.  I would prefer a leaf blower ban, however, not only
because of the excessive noise, but also because of the spreading of dust and debris to other
locations.  Please let me know if I can help accomplish this in any way.
==========
For our part, we don't like the noise very much either, but understand that the landscape maintenance
people are trying to provide maximum service at the best possible price. It is grossly inefficient to hand
rake all debris and would cause our service providers to have to raise prices or lose money. Please try
to be fair to the situation.
I say get rid of them. My neighbor’s gardener blows debris into the air and debris into my home.
=========
We read your December newsletter editorial on leaf blowers and would respectfully disagree with your
suggestion that we need to specifically ban them.  Frankly, we don't think there is any possibility of
changing your mind so we won't spend time trying.  As you point out, there is already an ordinance
covering the noise aspect of your problem.  Beyond that, a face to face discussion with your neighbor
is (or was) the usual approach to solving such issues.   Another ordinance is not the way.  Having lived
in this town for 73 years, we find it sad that people get so worked up about a truly trivial matter.  Thus
you have two votes to drop the issue where it lies.
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Please note that I am in favor of a complete ban on leaf blowers.
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Please consider this email a vote againt leaf blowers.  I would and do vote to outlaw them in CdM
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We are strongly in favor of an ordinance prohibiting leaf blowers.
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We live in one of the most beautiful places on earth and the incessant noise pollution from blowers
significantly affects our lovely environment in a very negative way.
==========
Thanks for your news letter. It is much appreciated.  I just read your article on leaf blowers. I'd like to
see NO GARDENERS at all on the weekends! It's irritating to be entertaining outside on Saturday or
Sunday and all of a sudden the loud invasive noises of the gardener's power tools fill the air. We have
enough of this stuff during the week.  How can we get rid of them on the weekends?
==========
I read your article re;  regulating leaf blowers and I am ALL FOR IT.  Let me know if you need me to write
letters or anything.  The noise, blowing of debris from one yard to next is crazy and I want it stopped.
==========
In reading your newsletter regarding Leaf Blowers, I could not agree with you more. I have personally
banned the use of blowers on my property by my gardeners. Occasionally our gardeners get a new
employee that starts up the blower and I instantly run out and tell him to shut it off. We actually leave
our own push broom out each week for our gardeners to sweep up after themselves.(It is a shame that
gardeners do not seem to own brooms these days!)
=========
Leaf Blowers blow dust and dirt all over your windows and sills creating a huge mess! The noise is
intolerable. My wife and I both believe strongly that they should be banned from the city.
=========
Leaf Blowers should be eliminated due to the noise and pollution they generate.  The best way for a
resident to do this is to use landscaping which does not require cutting or mowing. Then the need for a
leaf blower is eliminated.
=========
Leaf blowers are nuisance noise and should have severe restrictions placed upon their use and noise
level or be banned altogether (my preference). It's beyond me why a 10'x10' plot of land (which is what
most yards seem to be here in CdM) needs to be cleaned up something besides a rake or broom and
dustpan.
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This subject is my pet hate and they have gotten noisier and sound like chain saws.  Only low power
should be allowed.
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I believe that leaf blowers are a definite issue that should be addressed by our association.  When you
live on a standard 30' beach lot, there isn't much room for error when it comes to showing
consideration toward your neighbor.  For twenty some years my wife and I have put up with our
neighbor's gardener blowing grass clippings and leaves from their yard and patio onto our patio and
it's furniture. While I have asked the gardener both politely and not so politely to please refrain from
doing so it continues to this day. Just this past week we witnessed a gardener blowing an enormous
quantity of leaves off the Big Canyon property and onto Jamboree. With the heavy traffic there you can
only imagine the mess it created.  It shouldn't take the highest degree of intellectual capacity to
understand that moving debris from one location to another isn't a very effective way of containing and
disposing of it. Lets get rid of these noisy, messy machines and go back to the broom and dust pan
method of clean up and give our neighbors and beautiful city the respect they deserve.
=========
Regarding your article in the residents news letter about Leafblowers...
Get rid of them as of now, they are the most noisy and dirt spreading machines I have ever known, not
only do they use them for side walks and yards, roofers use them to clean off the roof dust after cutting
tile, being so high the dust is blown over a wide area, and like your article said, why so loud I will never
know...Also the 2 cycle engines produce so much pollution, I can't believe they are legal.  So, I repeat,
ban all leaf blowers..
========
I think it would be in the interest of all we change the hours and days of building construction. When
the typical house was built in our city the time of building was approximately 60 days or less...Now it is
from one year or more, loud radios, construction noise , streets blocked, pollution from trucks idling  in
the streets, God knows what .. So, I say, and many people that I have talked to say,
# 1  No work on Saturday and Sunday
# 2  New hours 8 AM to 5:30 PM
# 3  No Radios
#  4  No blocking streets, and side walks
These are just a few things, but something has to be done, it is upsetting every neighborhood, any
body who has been within  a house or two of a new condo ha felt the abuse of the contractor , they just
don't care.
=============
I strongly agree that leaf blowers should be abolished; Beverly Hills did it over 10 yrs ago.
Ban leaf blowers & SUVs.  Thank you for Newsletter
=============
Strongly support doing something about leaf blowers.  
=============
Leaf Blowers:  NB should follow other cities’ lead and adopt an ordinance to eliminate these unpopular
tools
=============
City should not allow leaf blowers
=============
Hi - just my two cents' worth on the leaf blower topic.  I think they're obnoxious, and should be banned,
and replaced with rakes and brooms.  I'm willing to pay a little more for quiet gardening that doesn't
produce noise and air pollution.
============