By Coral Gables Gazette staff

Coral Gables retains the legal authority to regulate gas-powered leaf blowers—for now—but pending state legislation could soon remove that power, city officials said during a discussion at the Feb. 10 City Commission meeting.

The update came at the request of Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, who asked city staff to clarify both the city’s current legal standing and the practical implications of shifting to quieter, electric alternatives.

Deputy City Attorney Stephanie Throckmorton told commissioners that a previous attempt by the Florida Legislature to preempt local regulation of gas-powered landscaping equipment was effectively nullified when the governor vetoed the provision.

“So we are free to act in the world of gas powered landscaping equipment at the moment,” Throckmorton said.

That authority, however, may be temporary.

“There is a bill pending at the legislature this year moving through the house HB433 which would preempt to the state all regulations about gas powered farm and landscape equipment,” she said. “Not specific to blowers generally but all gas powered equipment.”

Electric blowers effective downtown but limited elsewhere

City staff said Coral Gables has already begun transitioning to electric leaf blowers in certain areas, particularly in the dense downtown core where pedestrian activity is high and noise concerns are more acute.

Deena Bell-Llewellyn, assistant director of public works for greenspace management, said electric blowers have proven effective for maintaining smaller, high-traffic areas such as Miracle Mile and Ponce de Leon Boulevard.

“We’re already using the electric powered blowers,” Bell-Llewellyn said. “They’re effective in these small areas in downtown where you have a lot of pedestrian traffic, you have a lot of car parking.”

But their limitations become apparent across the city’s larger residential areas, parks, and medians.

“The downfall to them is the batteries only last less than two hours,” she said, noting that crews must carry multiple units or return to charging stations frequently. “They’re not as powerful as the gas blowers.”

Large medians and parks—particularly those with heavy leaf accumulation from mature trees—remain difficult to maintain using electric equipment alone.

If the city were to mandate a full transition to electric blowers, Bell-Llewellyn said, landscape maintenance costs would likely rise significantly.

“Our vendor… would most certainly increase the cost of service to give the current level of service,” she said, because crews would need more time and labor to achieve the same results.

Balancing environmental goals with operational realities

Mayor Vince Lago said the city continues to evaluate electric alternatives across multiple services, including landscaping equipment, trolleys, and sanitation vehicles, but emphasized that performance and efficiency remain critical considerations.

“We have to be very careful that we get ourselves into something that again we lose efficiency,” Lago said. “We’re trying to balance that environmental stewardship and also be as efficient as possible.”

Vice Mayor Anderson said the discussion was prompted in part by recent resident inquiries and was intended to ensure commissioners had consistent information.

“I just wanted to get the full commission an update,” Anderson said. “I thought it would be best that we all receive the uniform information across the board so we know how to respond.”

Local authority may soon be decided in Tallahassee

For now, Coral Gables remains free to regulate gas-powered landscaping equipment, including leaf blowers, if commissioners choose to do so. But the pending legislation in Tallahassee could shift that authority entirely to the state, preventing cities from adopting their own restrictions.

The issue reflects a broader tension playing out across Florida, as municipalities seek to address noise, environmental, and quality-of-life concerns while navigating state efforts to impose uniform regulations.

For Coral Gables, the discussion signals both progress and uncertainty—progress in adopting quieter technologies where feasible, and uncertainty about whether the city will retain the legal authority to shape its own policies in the years ahead.