REVISED METH LAB LEGISLATION CONSIDERED BY FALLS COUNCIL

CUYAHOGA FALLS -- Taxpayers and landlords would share the financial
burden of cleaning up former meth labs in the city, according to a
revised version of a proposed ordinance considered by City Council
July 7.

After hearing concerns from several landlords and Councilmembers,
Council's public affairs committee deleted language in the proposal
requiring property owners of former clandestine drug lab sites to pay
for cleanup and police administrative costs.

By requiring the property owners to assume the expense, Fatima Rita,
owner of an apartment building on Fourth Street, said, "You're making
us responsible for behavior we don't want."

While the committee agreed to remove that requirement from the
proposal, the city's deputy law director, Hope Jones, was adamant
about keeping language necessitating property owners fully disclose
the property's past about being a former meth lab site for perpetuity.

And while the bulk of the cleanup costs would be shifted to the city,
landlords would still have to shell out a share as well.

In its present form, taxpayers would pay for the "public costs,"
including law enforcement seizure of the labs and chemicals; disposal
costs of the chemicals; and administrative costs associated with the
clean-up of residual contamination. Landlords would be required to
pay cleanup costs incurred after police have cleared out the lab and
the city has ordered the site cleaned. Those costs would include
removing carpeting and other textiles exposed to the meth cooking
process as well as costs to decontaminate HVAC, plumbing, wall and
counters.

Marc Onesta, founder and president of Bio Clean Services of Hudson,
told Council's public affairs committee July 7 that costs for a
typical home range from $5,000 to $10,000. In certain states, Onesta
said, the property is recorded as being contaminated with meth until
the cleanup has been completed and post-clean up tests indicate it is
at the acceptable level. Then the property is then removed from the
records, Onesta said. Councilmembers Carol Klinger (R-At large) and
Diana Colavecchio (D-5) expressed concern about incorporating an
endless notification requirement in the city's proposal.

"You can severely diminish the value of a home if, into perpetuity,
you have to notify the people even if it's been remediated and the
hazard is gone," Klinger said.

But Jones said she disagreed there is proof the hazard is totally
gone, saying she preferred notification continue into perpetuity.

"I would want to know," Jones said.

Councilmember Kathy Hummel asked Community Development Director Sue
Truby to consider allocating some Community Development Block Grant
funds for the cleanup of meth houses in 2009. Truby endorsed the idea.