BYLAW TARGETS GROW-OPS IN THE CITY

It's time for the owners of properties used for marijuana grow-ops to foot
the full clean-up bill, the city believes.

The city is considering legislation which will financially penalize owners
of properties used to illegally grow and cultivate marijuana. The
legislation will also apply to owners of properties which have been used as
meth labs."

Under the new legislation, property owners could face hundreds or thousands
of dollars in inspection fees, administration fees, clean-up fees and even
hourly costs for police officers, bylaw officers and fire trucks which
could be required to clean up a property used to grow or manufacture
illegal drugs. The new bylaw will place on the property owners the
responsibility for managing properties which have been used as grow
operations, said city clerk Bill Halstead in a report to council, with an
exception for any owner that takes a proactive role in complying with the
bylaw."

Reluctant property owners will have the charges automatically added to
their property tax bill, leaving them no choice but to pay the fees.

After police bust grow ops in Campbell River, if the owner does not take
responsibility for his or her property, the city has to use its limited
authority under its building bylaw to clean up the premises. Sometimes the
city - and taxpayers - absorb some of the costs of inspecting former
grow-op properties and approving them for sale or to once again be rented out.

But now, the city wants to send a stronger message to property owners that
grow-ops are not acceptable in Campbell River.

While this process has been successful, it is a procedure meant for general
application and lacks the specific authority to deal with premises that
have been used as grow-ops," said Halstead.

Under the new bylaw, it will be the duty of property owners to inspect
their properties at least once every three months to make sure they are not
being used as marijuana grow operations. Property owners will also have to
allow city or police inspectors to inspect their properties at any
reasonable time" to make sure they are in compliance with the bylaw. The
owner will have to pay $300 each time an inspector comes to look over the
property.

But that doesn't mean city inspectors will be showing up merely if a
neighbour reports something suspicious about the house next door - it's the
job of the police to investigate and bust grow-ops, Halstead said.

The criminal activities will be dealt with by the police," he said.
Building inspectors are not going to be going into grow-op situations. This
is a building inspection bylaw more than a regulatory bylaw."

However, he pointed out that under the provincial Community Charter,
inspectors attending a property suspected of being or found to be a grow-op
will not need warrants, although they will have to contact the owner before
showing up.

Owners of properties which have been used as grow-ops will also have to get
a re-occupancy permit from the city certifying the property has been
cleaned up, repaired and made safe and clean for human occupancy again.