REGION LOOKS TO EXPAND ARSENAL IN WAR ON DRUGS

Similkameen is hoping to take advantage of the same weapons in the
fight against drugs that are used by cities throughout the province.

B.C. municipalities have the option to establish controlled substance
property remediation bylaws, but regional districts do not.

It's about revamping homes that have been used as drug dens or
grow-ops, to make them safe for owners, renters and neighbours. Some
homes with grow-ops, for example, can have excessive mould buildup
and illegal electrical wiring that can be a fire hazard.

Currently, regional districts are limited through the Local
Government Act in their ability to adopt effective grow-op bylaws to
address such issues.

The RDOS board has contacted provincial Minister of Community
Development Blair Lekstrom, requesting he grant a variance that would
allow the RDOS to use that type of legislation. The issue was
presented to the board by RDOS's Policing Advisory Committee.

Lekstrom has the authority to allow the RDOS to create such a bylaw,
said Bill Newell, the district's chief administrative officer.

"It'll go out under the chairs' signatures, probably within the next
couple of weeks," he said.

Once an illegal activity has been discovered, often, the properties
have been damaged.

"Sometimes, if it was a grow-op, the owner doesn't fix it up after
charges have been laid," explained Newell.

"So this gives the municipality the authority to require them to
remediate the property. It gives the government authority to fix it
up and charge the owner, or if the account remains outstanding, it
goes through the tax recovery process."

If someone complains that the house is derelict and requires repairs,
the municipality can enforce the bylaw.

"I think each case would be evaluated separately," said Newell.

The issue was brought up at the recent Union of B.C. Municipalities
meeting in Penticton. It was resolved that the UBCM will lobby the
provincial government to allow regional districts to complement their
municipal partners' legislation. Without that connection, the
differences set the scene to push the problems of the municipality
into neighbouring regional districts.

According to the Policing Advisory Committee, the benefits of having
the same bylaw power will enable a united approach to the issue. It
would provide provincewide powers to protect residents, opportunities
to assist the RCMP, public education and attract businesses and
people to the province who know strong grow-op bylaws are in effect.

"I would say it would be a legislative change and would be available
to all regional districts," said Newell. "However long the minister
chooses to take action, or if he does take action, it will be up to him."