WINTER PARK, Fla. — The Winter Park City Commission has decided to temporarily waive fines imposed under the city’s new gas-powered leaf-blower ban. The ban goes into effect in July, but violators won’t face fines until January of next year.

Winter Park is attempting to transition residents to electric leaf blowers after they say they received complaints about the noise and environmental health impacts.

As a part of their ban on gas-powered leaf blowers in 2022, the city gave a 30-month grace period for residents and lawn care agencies to replace their equipment. Enforcement for the ordinance begins in July, however, city officials say violators will receive warning citations instead of fines until next year.

City leaders did note that the temporary hold on fines is subject to change, as the measure is simply a policy and not an adjustment of the ordinance.

Many lawn care agencies have expressed concern about the ordinance. Lawn care specialists say the alternative, electric leaf blowers, are more expensive and less effective.

“They’re going to need anywhere from eight to 16 batteries, and the unit itself costs $1,400 plus taxes,” said Brad Fournier, owner of KJ’s Engine Repair. “And then you’re going to spend another thousand of dollars on batteries.”

Fournier’s company repairs both electric and gas lawn care equipment for people across Central Florida, and he said sometimes broken electric leaf blowers have to be thrown out entirely, instead of their gas alternatives which can be repaired.

Lawn care agencies argue that electric leaf blowers don’t hold charge long enough, which would result in them having to buy multiple batteries to keep on hand in their trucks. Some companies with dozens of employees said at Thursday’s City Commission meeting that they expect to take on a cost of tens of thousands of dollars to buy all new electric equipment.

While city leaders say the electric leaf blowers are more quiet, lawn care workers say they are significantly less powerful.

“In all due honesty, (electric blowers are) great for a 10-15 minute job, but with commercial people, and trying to do landscape where they’re doing 10-12 yards a day, working eight to 12 hours a day ... they need to be able to go out there and take a 40 minute job and do it in 10 minutes,” said Fournier.

Lawn equipment across the United States produced more than 68,000 tons of nitrogen oxides in 2020, according to one report. The report also says the equipment produced 30 million tons of carbon dioxide.

It’s one of the reasons members of the City Commission say they chose to implement the ban. Otherwise, they said they’ve also faced complaints from residents about the noise of gas-powered equipment.

To assist with the cost of buying a new leaf blower, city commission approved a $50 rebate for households. To apply, head to cityofwinterpark.org/sustainability.