Following a week of icy weather, Dallas’ Environment and Sustainability Committee met at City Hall to hear updates on various programs and initiatives.
The committee, chaired by Councilmember Paula Blackmon (District 9), is responsible for workshopping the controversial proposal that would forbid the sale and use of gas-powered landscape equipment by public, commercial, and private entities.
Staff presented on the numerous programs relating to environmental concerns, including the Hensley Field redevelopment, the dredging of White Rock Lake, and the equipment ban.
Currently, the staff is developing a “5-year Landscape Equipment Transition Plan” for a spring 2023 rollout date. To facilitate this, the City has developed a “residential and commercial survey” and is planning an “inventory of City and public equipment to allow estimates of funding required to support this transition.”
The Office of Environmental Quality & Sustainability (OEQS) additionally noted in a memo that it had “contracted with Modern Geosciences for technical support services including but not limited to; assistance in researching other community implementation…; and developing the detailed internal and external transition plan.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, lawn care companies have expressed concern about the proposal’s cost. They have also suggested that the electric equipment is impractical for commercial use.
In order to address pushback from stakeholders within City services and the broader public, the OEQS has worked with electric lawn care vendors to set up demonstration opportunities.
In a separate memo provided to the committee, Director of the Office of Government Affairs Carrie Rogers highlighted several bills submitted in the Texas Legislature that would impact the anti-gas-powered lawn care proposal.
Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Baytown) and Rep. Jay Dean (R-Longview) have submitted identical bills in the House that would prevent cities such as Dallas from instituting a gas-powered lawncare equipment prohibition.
“A political subdivision may not adopt or enforce an ordinance, order, or other measure that prohibits or restricts the use or sale of gasoline-powered landscaping equipment,” the bills read.
Rep. Cain explained to The Dallas Express that the bill, “will ensure that there is consistent framework for both private citizens and businesses to work with. Texans shouldn’t have to sell their equipment and buy new equipment when they move out of a certain town.”
“And businesses shouldn’t have to change out equipment when they’re moving to a different job between cities,” Cain continued. “Additionally, the City of Dallas has said that this will cost millions of dollars to implement for their own departments.”
“At a time when most Texans are having to tighten their own belt and are looking at the Texas Legislature to do something about rising property taxes, now is not the time for cities to spend millions on virtue signaling,” he concluded.
Rep. Dean additionally noted to The Dallas Express, “It’s very simple. Texans don’t want the government telling them what kind of lawn equipment they can or can’t use.”
At the committee meeting, Councilmember Paul Ridley (District 14) asked if staff had considered postponing efforts to develop and implement the gas-powered equipment prohibition since such a plan could become illegal.
Carlos Evans, director of OEQS, explained, “We have not made that evaluation and determination yet.” However, the gas-powered lawn equipment ban would not go back to the full council until after the legislature adjourned, so no delay was considered necessary.
The Dallas anti-gas push follows other bans across the nation. California has passed a ban on all gas-powered lawn equipment that will take effect by 2024, while states such as New York and Illinois have begun debating the issue.
