Pasadena : Blower Ban Rejected

The noisy, dusty and much-maligned gas-powered leaf blower won a temporary reprieve in Pasadena recently when the Board of Directors narrowly rejected a proposal to ban the device in residential neighborhoods. Thanks to a last-minute switch by Director Kathryn Nack, the proposal was defeated 4 to 3.

The board decided instead to draft a trial ordinance that would allow leaf blowers to be used from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., require gardeners to complete a course on how to operate them and ban the loudest brands of blowers. The board agreed to review the effectiveness of the ordinance in July and then discuss the need for a total ban.