CITY CONSIDERS BYLAW TO DEAL WITH GROW OPS

The City of Burnaby is considering a bylaw that would give the city more
recourse to deal with grow ops and other drug operations.

Coun. Lee Rankin raised the issue at the Oct. 3 meeting, proposing that the
city explore the idea of a bylaw to help hold landlords accountable for
marijuana grow ops and other drug operations in rental properties.

Rankin said he has discussed the issue with Burnaby RCMP Supt. Carl
Schmietenknop and that drug operations use up "substantial resources" for
the local detachment.

Rankin suggested that a bylaw might be one way to help tackle the program.

He cited the example of the City of Abbotsford, where a bylaw covers a
range of issues surrounding drug operations, including requiring landlords
to inspect rental premises at least once every three months and requiring
professional cleaners to be hired to return a rental property to livable
condition if there has been a grow op within it.

Fines can be levied against property owners for failing to keep premises up
to health and fire protection standards.

Rankin noted a review is also underway in the City of Richmond to determine
whether a bylaw should be introduced.

Rankin said such a bylaw might provide incentive for property owners to be
careful about tenants.

"Landlords would take some care in renting out dwellings," he said.

Coun. Nick Volkow said he has some concerns about the implications for
tenants in terms of allowing landlords regular access to rental suites.

Coun. Sav Dhaliwal also expressed concerns about tenant privacy and about
targeting property owners.

"The emphasis seems to be coming up with a bylaw that would put more burden
on the landlords," he said, noting it might discourage people from renting
out secondary suites and thus decrease the supply of affordable rental
property.

Coun. Pietro Calendino said bylaws targeting health and fire protection are
worthwhile but questioned having a bylaw in place that would make every
owner or landlord "de facto guilty" in the case of a drug operation.

"A lot of landlords are just common working people," he said, adding he has
a problem with imposing stiff financial penalties. "I think we need to face
the fact that most landlords are not guilty."

Calendino also questioned whether there would be legal implications for the
city.

"A bylaw like this can also be taken to court," he pointed out.

Mayor Derek Corrigan agreed there is a legal balancing act involved.

"It's difficult to balance the issue of community security protection with
individual rights," he said, noting the staff review can cover that issue
as well.

Coun. Colleen Jordan agreed it would be worthwhile to have staff look at
the possibility of such a bylaw.

She suggested that staff should also look at what success the city has
already had working with its task force on problem properties.

Corrigan noted the city's task force has been in operation for two years
and has dealt with 50 problem properties, 45 of which have been
satisfactorily dealt with. Thirty of those were demolished.

Corrigan said other measures have also been having success in the fight
against drugs, including the RCMP's new 12-member problem-oriented policing
squad - paid for with traffic fine revenue from the province - and the drug
squad, which has had "massive success" that includes a huge recent ecstasy
drug bust.

Councillors agreed to have staff review the issue.