I am voting YES to keep gas leaf blowers legal in Winter Park. My very fastidious neighbor uses an electric leaf blower almost daily to tidy up her yard. It’s high pitch whine is more annoyance than the gas leaf blowers used by our landscape contractor. Further, my landscape costs will increase materially if our contractor is forced to switch to electric leaf blowers. You will be annoyed whether leaf blowers are gas or electric.
But the real question is: Why in the world are leaf blowers an item for a voter referendum?
The leaf blower referendum is the result of tribal political nonsense on our city commission. It is not an important strategic city issue requiring a voter decision. BUT SOME THINGS ARE THAT THE COMMISSION HAS RAMMED DOWN OUR THROATS.
Why is there no voter referendum for the extension and expansion of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)? This commission decision will force $84,000,000 of city property taxes to be spent in about 10% of the Winter Park’s total area to benefit about 12% of our residents. What about the other 90% of Winter Park housing 88% of our residents? No matter to the commission, they just force it down our throats.
The facts on the CRA expansion and extension are documented here:
Commission Wants $84,000,000 of Your Money
CRA Projects In the Big Money Grab
Repeal CRA Expansion and Extension
Please support good governance for our city.
Vote YES on the leaf blower referendum.
Tell the city commission to put the CRA expansion and extension to a vote of the residents: mayorandcommissioners@cityofwinterpark.org.
Why don’t we start by giving the PEOPLE of Winter Park a choice on which type of blower they would like to use? We already pay a very healthy price to have our yard done, and can only imagine the increase in yard care if this passes.
Chris Cruzada stated that this debate began when everyone was working from home during COVID, well COVID is gone and people hopefully are back in their offices and not on their front porches all day.
If you wish to use a broom, do so! If you like battery operated blowers use one, and if you still want your lawn care service in business let them use gas.
But that would be common sense! 🙂
I recall a conversation with a tall and very in shape city worker at the WP Community Center. He was toting a battery operated blower backpack (bought by us, of course). I asked him how he liked it and he grimaced, telling me it was way too heavy. Not sustainable for human bodies or our pocketbooks, a major fire hazard, but meaningless virtue signalling always seems to win with our city commission, no matter the heavy citizen or business toll.
I don’t really care about electric versus gas when it comes to leaf blowers so I’ll vote yes. When it comes to leaf blowers period here is my complaint. Why do lawn care companies blow off city streets, curbs or sidewalks? I understand private driveways and walkways. The former does nothing for anybody. It just kicks up dust and debris and spreads it all around into the air for people to breath in everywhere and onto other private properties! Why not do away with that part of the leaf blower conundrum?