CREWS MAY GET POWER TO RAZE DRUG HOUSES

Calgary Herald City Hall - City council will look at bylaw changes so
the fire department has the authority to demolish abandoned drug houses.

"We're still not getting ahead of the problem," said Ald. Diane
Colley-Urquhart, who brought the motion forward.

The proposed changes would give the fire department the authority to
repair or demolish houses that harboured marijuana grow ops or drug
labs and now pose a safety risk.

There are 150 abandoned houses in the city, Colley-Urquhart said, of
which about 100 used to be "drug factories."

Erika Hargesheimer, general manager of Community and Protective
Services, said while the city has options under its community
standards bylaw and the Alberta Building Code, "there are examples
where we're not able to deal with the problem using the existing legislation."