Mayor Stewart Welch
Since becoming mayor in 2016, one of my initiatives has been to reduce the use of gas blowers throughout our city.
In 2019, the city hired a national consultant to evaluate our use of gas blowers versus the possibility of transitioning to battery-powered blowers. The amount of gas and noise pollution was eye-opening, and while the initial cost of purchasing battery equipment was significantly higher, the cost over the life of the equipment was similar. With battery-powered equipment, there is very little maintenance, no pollution, and minimal noise.
We successfully transitioned both the Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments to battery power in all but the most adverse weather conditions and have significantly reduced noise pollution around our villages and parks. As a result, Mountain Brook became the first American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA)-certified city in Alabama in 2021. We are the leader in this effort and intend to stay that way.
In January, we held an event to further raise awareness of quiet technologies and introduced state-of-the-art blower equipment developed by Whisper Aero, a Nashville-based company that works in drone technology for the Department of Defense. Their blower uses fresh technology to deliver quieter, more powerful equipment that they expect to have in production in 2026.
One attendee, Jennifer Thomas, owner of Meta’s Garden Landscaping, expressed her excitement about the innovation: “I was impressed with this unique application of Aero technology to benefit our industry and community. Being able to move forward with equipment that is affordable, quiet, and powerful is a win for everyone.”
Several local landscape companies participated in the demonstration event, including Steven’s Wack-N-Sack. Owner Steven Gladstone brought his eco-friendly all-battery-equipment truck, which features solar-recharging roof panels, and highlighted the benefits of switching to electric tools. These include reduced noise, pollution, and user fatigue, along with lower maintenance costs and improved working conditions.
Local commercial vendor Green Landscaping also attended and has agreed to be a beta tester for transitioning a truck to green technology in coordination with the city’s consultant at AGZA. Greenworks (no relation to Green Landscaping), based in Tennessee, will supply the equipment and prepare the truck. The goal is proof of concept—showing the effectiveness, efficiency, and business worthiness of battery-powered versus gas-powered blowers and equipment.
I hope you will bring your family to our Citizens Appreciation Week event on April 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., where we will showcase some of this cutting-edge technology.
