The number of leaf-blower complaints opened in Palo Alto in 2024, illustrating the enforcement challenges facing Bay Area cities as they phase out gas-powered equipment. Walnut Creek will join that list in April, raising concerns about neighbor-to-neighbor disputes, overburdened phone lines and added scrutiny for landscapers. Residents like 72-year-old Jeanette Asselin worry that electric blowers still lack the power to handle wet leaves across large properties, even as cities push ahead with bans to cut noise and emissions.
