LETTER PROPOSED ON POCO'S VALUES

Businesses Could Then Decide What To Sell In Their Stores

PORT COQUITLAM -- A letter detailing Port Coquitlam's community
values could soon be handed out to business owners selling
undesirable items such as crack pipes and bear spray in their stores.

Coun. Arlene Crowe broached the idea at a protective services
committee meeting Thursday, after finding out that the city will wait
until next spring to explore a bylaw to regulate the sale of
hydroponics and drug paraphernalia.

"Just a simple letter, that's all I'm interested in," Crowe said.

The document, which would be drafted by staff and reviewed by
committees and council, would not lay out rules and regulations,
Crowe said, but would list what Port Coquitlam values.

She said city representatives would give the letters to business
owners and let them decide what they will sell in their stores

"It's money over people, and that's what bothers me," Crowe said of
the current situation, where dollar stores advertise "collector
knives" and "bear spray" and corner stores sell crack pipes.

"I think that's quite a reasonable approach to take," said Nancy
Gomerich, director of corporate services.

Coun. Darrell Penner agreed that the idea was a great one, but
wondered how to approach making up a list of the city's values.

Gomerich said that by looking at a model bylaw and the Meth Watch
program, she would come up with some basic ideas to bring forward.
She said the soft approach is a good way to introduce what could
later be put into bylaw form.

"I think that's a great way to start," she said.

There is currently no way for the city to regulate which items are
sold in individual stores. All the city can do is regulate which
stores are set up where, and do spot or prohibitive zoning.

The city cannot impose requirements or prohibit shop owners from
selling certain items.

The RCMP and the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) have put
together a model bylaw, but legislative changes are needed at the
provincial level before it goes any further.

"The province seems to be on board for legislative changes," Gomerich
said.

The bylaw is set to be released to the public during a Lower Mainland
Municipalities meeting on May 10. After that, the bylaw will go to
the UBCM convention and will be finished by spring 2007.

Gomerich said the advice she received was that if the city decides to
go ahead with its own bylaw now, it would be restricted in what it
could do.

The better option, she said, is to wait for the legislative changes.

"People are on board with the changes and they are supportive," she
said.