The South Portland City Council won’t discuss restricting gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers and similar equipment until June 15. 

“No decisions have been made to move forward ... just to learn more,” City Manager Scott Morelli wrote in an email. “(The) council will then decide whether to have staff bring forward ordinance changes to consider to implement these plans, or will tell us to not pursue.” 

Julie Rosenbach, the city’s sustainability director, has declined comment on the proposal until the council has weighed in. 

The proposal is connected to One Climate Future, a sustainability plan between Portland and South Portland unveiled in 2020, according to a March 15 memo from Rosenbach to the council. 

Restricting sale or use of gasoline-powered lawn equipment in the city, Rosenbach wrote, “will help us meet our goal of reducing city-wide greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050, which the Council adopted in 2018.”  

The proposal, Rosenbach wrote, goes hand in hand with other measures, such as switching to “electric and alternative fuel municipal fleets,” which would reduce the number of gasoline-powered vehicles used by city workers. 

Such a ban on gasoline-powered lawn equipment, Rosenbach said, would be phased in over the next few years. 

As an incentive, the city has a rebate program for residents who buy battery-powered equipment. The city will also launch a program in April allowing residents to borrow electric-powered lawn equipment from the city for free.