The Ann Arbor City Council is considering an exemption to the city’s gas-powered leaf blower ban for controlled burns.
Officials with the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department say the exemption is needed because electric blowers aren’t powerful enough for the job required during a controlled burn.
Community Services Area Manager Derek Delacourt says they would like to burn about 300 acres a year, but that’s not possible using electric blowers.
“We struggle to get to a hundred acres a year, and really with the reduction of time and safety that it would take with the switch, we would be down below 50 acres a year and pretty much render the program ineffective both from a quantity standpoint and a safety standpoint.”
Landscapers and others responsible for large property maintenance have also complained that the electric blowers can’t meet their needs.
A public hearing and final vote are scheduled for Monday.
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