Greenwich RTM Postpones Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Restriction Proposal

GREENWICH, CT — Without a town noise ordinance to amend and with town officials still grappling with the Board of Health's sudden decision to repeal the ordinance last week, the Representative Town Meeting on Monday night voted to postpone a proposal to limit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers to January.

The vote was 141 in favor, 50 opposed with one abstention.

Quiet Yards Greenwich, a community group that has been looking to solve what it says is a community-wide problem of excessive noise and pollution from the gas-powered leaf blowers, put forward an amendment to the town ordinance that would have limited the use of the popular landscape equipment from May 1 to Sept. 30.

The Greenwich Board of Health last week suddenly repealed the town's noise ordinance and declared it would no longer be involved in the management of noise activity in the community. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's (CT-DEEP) ordinance is now in effect.

Quiet Yards Greenwich intends to place on the January call a standalone ordinance to regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers not tethered to any other ordinance, even if Greenwich enacts a new ordinance.

To motion to postpone was brought forward by Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan. Selectwoman Lauren Rabin offered comments ahead of the vote.

"This action was taken by the Board of Health on Thursday without consulting with the Office of the Selectmen or members of the RTM. The action is unprecedented and the town's legal department and government officials are still working to understand the full magnitude of its consequences," Rabin said.

"The motion to suspend... will give town officials and the RTM time to better understand the legal framework that we are now operating in, and in regards to noise in general and in regards to leaf blower use specifically."

Several people spoke in favor of postponing and expressed disappointment at the Board of Health's decision, which came in a brief, 10-minute special meeting that did not include discussion or public comment.

"I feel pretty strongly the RTM should have had some authority here and I'm very upset; we spent a lot of time on this," said RTM member Lucy von Brachel. "I'm very upset the rug was kind of pulled out from under us in making this decision, because we represent the entire community whereas the Board of Health is an appointed body of seven people."

First Selectman Fred Camillo earlier this week called for Board of Health Chair Joel Muhlbaum to resign. Camillo, a strong advocate for local control, notably on zoning issues, took exception with the Board of Health's decision to cede local control on noise to the state.

"The decision last week by the Greenwich Board of Health to cede local control over our noise ordinance to Hartford is beyond disappointing. It is outrageous and it happened because of the Board of Health’s inability to address in a timely and thoughtful manner the proposal from Quiet Yards Greenwich to limit gas-powered leaf blowers to the summer months," Camillo said in a statement Monday.

"If someone cannot find the courage to deal with an issue on a board that they serve on, then I would expect that person to resign from that position. In this particular case, I believe the Chairman of the Board of Health should step down and the board should be reconstituted with an understanding of its members’ role in keeping Greenwich independent from Harford in matters important to our citizens," Camillo added.

Attempts to reach Muhlbaum for comment earlier this week were unsuccessful.