City hopes to reach more residents as it struggles to enforce gas-powered leaf blower ban

Palm Springs wants to get the word out to homeowners that they could be on the hook for fines if landscapers use gas-powered leaf blowers on their property.

The Palm Springs Sustainability Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved sending a letter to local news media to remind residents about the ordinance and available rebates for electric equipment. The move is in tandem with a signage campaign that was recently announced. 

Even though the leaf blower ban ordinance was passed eight years ago and went into effect six years ago, commissioners say the letter is necessary because there are still people using gas-powered leaf blowers.

Warnings and citations are sent to homeowners rather than landscapers, city staff have said in the past, because of the difficulty in identifying specific landscaping companies or workers. Many don’t have logos on their trucks and crews may change frequently.

Explaining the fines the letter reads, “A fine not exceeding $100 will be realized for the first violation. A fine not exceeding $500 per violation will be realized if there are more than two violations within one year.”

Enforcement remains challenging because code enforcement officers must either witness gas-powered leaf blower use directly or receive clear photographic evidence showing both the equipment and its precise location.

Residents have voiced concerns that reporting offending homeowners often doesn’t lead to any consequences. That’s a problem even one of the commissioners experienced. Commissioner Michael Frick said at a meeting last year that even though he had clear photographic evidence and knew the location, nothing came of the complaint he filed.

He updated the commission on Tuesday, applauding code enforcement officers for their recent work.

“I did call on the house, and they actually gave their first letter of the action,” he said. “So I just want to commend code enforcement for getting there in time.”

In addition, the commission acknowledged concerns about financial burdens on landscapers, even with electric blower rebates available from South Coast Air Quality Management for $1,400 and from the city’s Office of Sustainability for up to $750. 

Palm Springs Director of Sustainability LP McCloy noted that staff is actively working to streamline the rebate process.

“We want to be mindful of the precarity of some of the situations that they may be facing,” McCloy said, “and also just make that process easier, where we have the power to do that.”

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