North Hempstead Councilwoman Christine Liu is increasing efforts to enforce a law against the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, working closely with the town’s Public Safety Commissioner Derek Skuzenski to crack down on their illegal use.
The existing law – passed in 2019 under former Supervisor Judi Bosworth – prohibits commercial landscapers from using gas-powered leaf blowers from June 15 through Sept. 15 annually. Despite this ban, Liu said she still receives calls from constituents that the law is consistently ignored.
“Resident-submitted photos and videos are not sufficient for Public Safety officers to issue tickets for violating the ban,” said Liu. “To enforce this law, the Town’s Public Safety Code Enforcers must witness the violation firsthand. This was problematic because by the time a code officer arrived at the location, the landscaper was long gone and the complaint was closed out.”
Liu said the reports from residents included both noise and health complaints.
She has created enhanced measures in partnership with Skuzenski that will go into effect this summer during the ban period. These measures include streamlined reporting, surprise inspections and tougher penalties.
“Under the new plan I developed in collaboration with Public Safety and the town attorney, if residents witness a landscaper violating the ban, they can call 311 to be directly connected to the Department of Public Safety. Although Public Safety officers will not respond immediately, they will log the landscaper’s schedule in the neighborhood,” said Liu. “Using this information, unannounced inspections will be conducted at a later time. Code officers will issue citations to landscapers found in violation, and repeat offenders will be referred to the town attorney for cease-and-desist action.”
Liu said the enforcement of the leaf blower ban falls under the jurisdiction of the town’s Department of Public Safety, which means code officers respond to reported complaints by visiting the location and issuing summons to those found in violation.
Liu said this new enforcement is meant to significantly improve the quality of life for residents.
“My hope is that it encourages landscapers to follow regulations more closely, which would lead to a reduction in both air and noise pollution,” said Liu. “Residents will be able to enjoy the outdoors during the summer months without the disruption of air and noise pollution, creating a more peaceful and healthier environment for everyone.”
