NO RELIEF FOR OWNER OF POCO HOME THAT HOUSED GROW OP

A Port Coquitlam homeowner looking for a break on thousands of dollars
in fees after a grow op was found on his property got no help from the
city last week.

The owner of the home in the 1500-block of Shaughnessy Street asked
for the $8,871 charge levied against the property to be waived because
he suffers from a serious illness and doesn't have enough money to
cover the charges.

PoCo's community safety committee (CSC) approved the recommendation to
refuse the appeal and the matter will next go before city council,
said the committee chair, Coun. Darrell Penner.

The homeowner has been sent the committee's decision and if he wishes
to appeal, he must appear before council. The question of paying in
instalments arose but this is not an option.

"The city is not a bank," said Penner.

The manager of bylaw services, Dan Scoones, wrote the report to the
CSC, and explained waiving is impossible because, "There is no
provision in any version of the Controlled Substance Nuisance Bylaw
for city staff to waive service charges if the corresponding service
has actually been delivered."

The charges established under the bylaw are a cost-recovery measure,
he wrote.

"Forgiving the charges in a particular case would effectively transfer
those costs to other owners of controlled-substance properties, or to
the general taxpayers," read the report.

Another reason staff made the refusal recommendation was because the
municipality has no way to dig into the applicant's life to verify if
his claimed hardships are true. Without that ability, staff would have
to accept the information at "face value," wrote Scoones.

According to the committee report, the homeowner was not living in the
residence in April 2007 when police searched the home and found 404
marijuana plants and an electrical bypass. The city rescinded its
do-not-occupy notice last August and the owner moved back in and now
faces the hefty bill.

Following is the breakdown of costs associated with the grow
op:

. inspection, re-inspection and reposting fees: $2,750;

. RCMP security costs and cost recovery (including drug disposal
costs): $3,250.28;

. emergency board-up: $1,371.23;

. water distribution shut-off: $137.06;

. building department fees: $205.93;

. administration: $1,157.18.