Skip to Content
Local News

Leaf Blower Brigade, Update

Kim Havey, Director of Sustainabililty with the City of Minneapolis (Photo Kim Havey)

A small group of neighborhood residents met in November to discuss how to move ahead on getting the City of Minneapolis to pass an ordinance banning gas-powered leaf blowers and other lawn tools.

We were joined by Kim Havey, Director of Sustainability at the City of Minneapolis, who provided useful information on initiatives already underway in the city (and the state) using rebates as incentives for those who make the switch from the noisier and dirtier gas-powered tools to the quieter and less harmful battery-powered ones.

Many professional lawn service companies resist the switch, saying that the battery-powered tools don’t last long enough and don’t have the power of the gas-fueled ones. And the battery-powered tools bring their own problems, from the environmental impact of manufacturing and disposing of the batteries, to the health impact of blasting particulates into the air, to the disruption of the natural protection that fallen leaves provide to insects and other critters.

Short of going back to rakes, or letting the leaves stay put, there is no perfect solution to the problem.

Havey told us that Parkway Lawn Service did take advantage of the rebate program and that other companies that are currently reluctant to switch will eventually realize that a ban is inevitable and by waiting they lose out on the considerable financial incentives to do so now.

According to Havey, there is interest among some City Council members in working on an ordinance, but it’s best to wait until the new Council Members are sworn in and committees are assigned.

So the blower brigade will take the month of January off and dream of healthier, quieter times ahead.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Hill & Lake Press

Holidays on Hennepin: A Monthlong Celebration of Uptown’s Reopening

Holidays on Hennepin will brighten the corridor from Nov. 28 to Jan. 1 with lights, events, and a business passport program celebrating the long-awaited reopening of Hennepin Avenue South.

October 25, 2025

Help Hill & Lake Press Carry Its Legacy Into Our 50th Year

As Hill & Lake Press nears its 50th anniversary, we’re inviting readers to help preserve nearly five decades of local history — supporting digitization, small businesses and the next generation of community journalism in Minneapolis’ lakes district.

October 25, 2025

Letters to the Editor

Community voices weigh in on the future of Minneapolis — from Uptown revitalization and park stewardship to setting the record straight on DFL leadership and supporting pragmatic, results-driven candidates for City Council and Park Board.

October 25, 2025

Wishing For Snow 

As another chaotic election season collides with an unseasonably warm fall, gratitude feels complicated. Between politics, climate change and human suffering, maybe the best we can do this Thanksgiving is find small moments of hope — and wish for snow.

October 25, 2025

‘Minneapolis for the Many’ PAC: Issues Apology to Local Landlord

The progressive PAC Minneapolis for the Many was forced to publicly retract and apologize after falsely labeling Minneapolis landlord Jim Rubin a “negligent landlord.” The group admitted its claims were untrue and acknowledged Rubin’s work to preserve older buildings and maintain naturally occurring affordable housing — a rare reversal in the middle of an already heated election cycle.

October 25, 2025

Temple Israel Defaced Again, Less Than a Year After First Incident

In a disturbing repeat of last year’s vandalism, Temple Israel was defaced again — this time with Hamas-linked graffiti on the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks. Community leaders swiftly condemned the act as a hate crime, while police and the FBI launched an investigation into the antisemitic messages.

October 25, 2025
See all posts