Landscapers are fighting back after a rule to ban gas leaf blowers in Sanibel is going into effect.
The group that called for the ban is a renewable energy working group, they say gas blowers create too much pollution.
WINK News talked to Jesus Hernandez, he owns his own landscaping company and works on a lot of yards in Sanibel.
He said electric leaf blowers take double the time to do the same. And time is money which means a lot of customers are going to pay a lot more.
“Now, for example, You’re going to be there for a half hour, we’re now gonna have to be there an hour and a half or so,” Hernandez said.
That roar is one of the reasons why the City of Sanibel said they’re banning gas-powered leaf blowers. They sent out a letter saying that people must make the switch to electric leaf blowers before January 1, 2023.
He said the city originally banned the blowers after 9 p.m. which worked well. But now they’re taking it a step further and it’s going to hurt landscapers and customers.
“We’re gonna have to spend a lot more time on each visit so that you have to charge more, your quarterly because now, for example, you’re going to be there for a half hour, we’re not gonna have to be there an hour and a half or so,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said commercial-grade electric blowers start at $2,000 and batteries are $500 each and they only last 4 to 5 hours.
Hernandez and other landscapers are protesting at the city council meeting Monday morning to fight back against this new rule.
“We are gonna go up and say, Hey, why, why are you doing this to us,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez also said he is worried about hurricane season because the electric blowers have to charge and if the power goes out they’re out of luck.
WINK News will be at the city council meeting on Monday.