Residents Push Council to Restrict Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers, Citing Noise and Unenforceable Rules
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Three Glen Ridge residents used public comment at the April 11, 2022 council meeting to press for new restrictions on gas-powered leaf blowers, describing noise loud enough to wake napping children and drown out work-from-home video calls. One resident described gas blowers producing up to 100 decibels -- comparable to a plane taking off -- and cited neighboring towns including Montclair and Maplewood that already limit when landscapers can use them. Resident Eric Goldman pointed out two specific gaps in Glen Ridge's existing noise ordinance: it requires landscaping equipment to use a "sound-muffling device," but police told him no such device actually exists for these tools, making that provision unenforceable, and the only way to file a noise complaint is to call the police directly on a neighbor, which he and other speakers said they were uncomfortable doing. A written complaint from resident Jim Lowe raising the same issue was also read into the record. No ordinance was introduced at this meeting, and council members did not commit to a timeline, though they acknowledged the concerns.
Resident Ray Donnelly presented years of personal research identifying Glen Ridge residents and service members killed in World War II, including men buried in the Netherlands, Italy, England, France, Belgium, and North Africa, or listed on memorial walls for those missing in action. Donnelly said he plans to give his research and photographs to the borough historical society ahead of the Memorial Day parade, and specifically asked the mayor and council to correct the misspelled name of Thomas Hartman on the borough's war memorial.
The council formally introduced its 2022 municipal budget, proposing a 1.6% spending increase -- lower than the prior year's 2.5% increase -- translating to an average $97 increase in the municipal portion of a resident's tax bill. A public hearing and formal presentation on the budget is scheduled for the council's May 9, 2022 meeting.
Administrator Michael Zichelli announced Essex County's Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day will be held May 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 90 West Bradford Avenue in Cedar Grove, where residents can drop off items like old paint and hardened fertilizer that can't go through normal trash pickup.
The vote to approve the minutes of the March 28, 2022 meeting was not unanimous: two council members, including Councilor Lefkovits, abstained, while two others voted aye (the recording does not clearly identify every name). Because abstentions aren't "no" votes, the motion carried on the strength of the ayes cast.
What to watch
- A public hearing and full presentation on the proposed 2022 municipal budget at the May 9, 2022 meeting
- Possible council action on gas-powered leaf blower restrictions, requested by multiple residents
- Whether the borough corrects the misspelled name on its war memorial ahead of the Memorial Day parade