Aquinnah will be the only Island town not to vote on a phaseout of gas-powered leaf blowers at its annual spring town meeting this year.
The town approved and closed its town meeting warrant at Monday’s select board meeting in preparation for its May 13 annual town meeting. Jeffrey Madison told The Times that he was not aware of any leaf blower bylaw having been submitted to the select board for discussion.
Bylaws passed in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and West Tisbury last week differ slightly from town to town, but involve restricting all leaf blowers to certain times of day and year, and eliminating all use of gas-powered leaf blowers after three years. Chilmark and Tisbury are voting on similar regulations at the end of April.
On Tuesday, town administrator Jeffrey Madison attributed the absence of a submission to a lack of traction in his town. Town climate and energy committee chair Bill Lake told The Times that the bylaw did not come before his committee, though he had discussed the ban with the Vineyard Conservation Society.
In all five other Vineyard towns, concerned citizens placed leaf blower bylaws on town meeting warrants, supported by research from and public forums held by the conservation society.
Maybe more wind towers would solve the problem.