Snowmass Bans Gas Leaf Blowers in Summer with 2029 Deadline

“‘We’re in a revolutionary time in terms of transitioning from gas-powered to electric.’”

That’s how John Wilkinson, the longtime Snowmass Village resident who started the whole ball rolling with his petition, summed up the town’s new plan. He shook hands with a local landscaping operator right there at the end of the meeting. It was a good omen for a vote that might have otherwise been messy.

Snowmass Town Council has settled on a revised ordinance that bans gas-powered leaf blowers during summer months only, with full compliance required by 2029.

The question is whether this compromise is enough to actually change behavior, or if it’s just another rule that sits on a shelf until the deadline hits.

The new rule is specific. It targets leaf blowers, not every piece of gas-powered lawn equipment. And it’s time-bound. Operators can still use gas blowers during shoulder seasons — spring and fall — when the work is heaviest. That distinction matters because public comment confirmed that blowing leaves in October isn’t the same as blowing them in July.

“I think we’re making a good start with this proposed ordinance,” Council Member Tom Fridstein said. “I think it’s a good compromise.”

Fridstein sees this as a stepping stone. He thinks passing this summer-only ban opens the door to tightening the window later. But right now, the focus is on getting the timeline right.

The old proposal had different deadlines for commercial operators, HOAs, and individual residents. The new version sets a single, uniform deadline: 2029.

“We’re looking at a great compromise and a good timeframe in which to do it,” Council Member Britta Gustafson said.

But a deadline without support is just a threat. Gustafson wants to see rebates or clear communication about funding before the clock runs out. Aspen already launched a pilot electric leaf blower voucher program to help landscaping businesses make the switch. Snowmass is looking at doing the same, or something similar.

The math is simple enough to worry about. One local company told the council they need roughly six batteries a day to get through a normal schedule of houses. At $350 per battery, that’s $2,100 a day just for power cells. Over a season, that adds up fast. If the town doesn’t help offset that cost, small businesses might just eat the expense or raise their prices.

“We should be incentivizing people … individual residents, to want to make the switchover,” Mayor Alyssa Shenk said. “My concern is I don’t feel like the ordinance is doing enough to move people faster to want to do these things.”

Shenk’s point hits the core of the issue. A ban tells people what to do. Incentives tell people why they should want to do it. Without that push, compliance might be slow, especially among residents who aren’t running landscaping crews.

Marolt seconded the call for incentives, hoping to see them in place before 2029. She thinks communication is key. If people understand the cost of batteries and the benefit of electric models, they might make the switch on their own.

Wilkinson, who pushed for the ban in the first place, is satisfied. He called the dates and times “a reasonable choice.” He’s not expecting perfection, just progress.

The town has five years to figure out the rebate structure. They have until then to help businesses absorb the cost of batteries. And they have five years to convince residents that trading a noisy gas blower for a quiet electric one is worth the upfront investment.

It’s a start. But as the council members noted, it’s only the beginning of the conversation.