DISTRICT RECOVERING FROM GROW OPS

Two years after its creation, Maple Ridge's marijuana grow-op bylaw is
still plugging money from grow ops back into municipal accounts - at
landlords' expense.

In 2005, that amounted to $160,000.

In 2006, landlords paid a little less than that amount.

The bylaw, passed in late 2004, requires landlords to inspect their
properties every three months for grow-ops or illegal drug
manufacturing. It also requires owners of any homes busted as grow ops
to cover police and fire costs for dismantling them. Municipal costs
also are loaded on to the landlord.

In 2005, the first full year of the bylaw, costs were passed on to 45
property owners following police takedowns of drug operations.

The next year was down a bit, 35 landlords were tagged with the
dismantling costs.

Overall, after two years of the bylaw being in place, the district has
earned $350,000 from landlords.

"Yes, it's working. We're recovering our costs," said Brock McDonald,
bylaws director for the district.

"Basically, from our perspective, it's simply cost
recovery."

Most municipalities in the Lower Mainland have such a
bylaw.

Pitt Meadows passed a similar bylaw in 2005 and has recovered about
$70,000 from property owners, said Lesley Elchuk with the city bylaw
department.

In Maple Ridge, the process kicks in immediately anytime a grow-op is
busted. The money that comes in from landlords is distributed back to
the department that incurred the charges.

In Pitt Meadows, the city has taken advantage of a B.C. Hydro program
that provides addresses of homes with electrical consumption.

The municipality has a record of all such homes which forms part of
the information that will be used by a safety committee, part of a
three-month long pilot program. RCMP will provide tips on which houses
will be inspected by the committee. Once homes are identified a notice
will be posted giving 24 hours notice of the inspection.

Police, building inspectors and electrical inspectors are part of the
group.

The main concern is public safety and the threat posed by wiring and
equipment in the grow ops, Elchuk said.

According to a study by the University College of the Fraser Valley,
Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows are one of the fastest growing areas for
marijuana grow operations.

The report said there has been a 375-per-cent increase in grow-ops
from 1997 and 2006.