NO STONE UNTURNED IN COUNCIL'S EFFORT TO BATTLE GROW-OPS

From the childish grins around the table, an outsider might have wondered
what our city fathers had been smoking.

After all, here was Vancouver City Council's committee on city services
and budgets discussing the serious matter of funding "Growbusters," the
police squad that battles grow-ops.

The meeting was running two hours overtime, after getting bogged down in
Gastown rezoning and the future of the PNE.

Marijuana Party leader Marc Emery had been huffing and puffing about the
merits of growing pot in a presentation to the committee.

That's when Coun. Fred Bass threw in a zinger that had the audience rolling
in the aisles.

"Are you suggesting a new use for the Agrodome?" deadpanned Bass.

The committee inhaled a report recommending continued funding for
Growbusters for three years at an annual cost of $480,000.

The budget includes $20,000 for a FLIR or "forward looking infrared
device," which helps police find grow-ops through thermal imaging.

Growbusters has shut down 1,114 grow-ops since July 2000 and seized $200
million in marijuana and $6.2 million in equipment as well as $400,000 in cash.

The committee voted to approve funding for Growbusters until September,
2005. That recommendation will go to council.

After lengthy debate the committee gave the go-ahead to the city manager to
set up a team to negotiate with Victoria over the future ownership of the PNE.

It also approved drawing up an operating agreement extending the PNE at
Hastings Park until Dec. 31, 2003.