GROW OP PREVENTION COULD FALL ON LANDLORDS

Landlords would have to pay closer attention to what happens on their
rental properties under a prospective bylaw aimed at reducing marijuana
grow operations in North Cowichan.

"We would like to dissuade them from coming to North Cowichan so if this
moves them on, that's good," said Councillor Tom Walker of the proposed
rule, which he introduced to council Wednesday.

The bylaw would tentatively require: landlords to make regular inspections
of their properties; professional cleaning of carpets, walls and air ducts
in homes where grow ops were discovered; new building and occupancy permits
where the grow op resulted in changes to building structure;
decontamination of pesticides and insecticides used in production.

The volunteer-based Community Policing Advisory Committee asked the
municipality to consider creating the new regulation as one more tool to
combat increasing drug production in the Cowichan Valley.

"We have at least three fires a year due to grow operations a year and
there's a concern for firefighters' safety," said Walker. There's also the
worry about booby traps, said RCMP Inspector Linton Robinson.

"The people who have grow operations are becoming more dangerous to with in
terms of how they protect their operation, specifically in indoor grow
operations," said Robinson.

While it is aimed at grow ops, the bylaw would cover any building where
residents are illegally producing drugs.

CPAC review several similar bylaws in place in other communities, including
Nanaimo, but used Chilliwack's rule as a model because it was the only one
to address health issues caused by chemicals and by mold and mildew that
often accompany grow ops.

"We've seen a fairly dramatic shift of grow operations away from rental
properties," said Chilliwack Mayor Clint Hame.

While organized crime remains a problem in his city, their bylaw, brought
in last fall, has been pushed grow operations to industrial areas and
farms, reducing the danger to neighbours, he said.

The North Cowichan/ Duncan detachment dismantled 16 small grow ops in 2004,
costing taxpayers upwards of $35,000, a number that doesn't include any
outside help that was needed from BC Hydro, public works or the use of
special equipment.

"These are costly operations and at present these costs are born by the
taxpayer, not the landowner," said Walker.

That money is better spent on other things, said CPAC member Pam Campbell.

"The attraction was that this could help recover those costs," she said.

Absentee landlords must be more accountable for illegal activity on their
property, she believes.

"There are people who buy property as an investment. They don't even live
in our community but we have to deal with the problem."

She hopes the bylaw would encourage landlords to be aware of what is
happening on their rental properties, even when they believe they have
responsible tenants. The Community Policing Office has a free program to
help landlords ensure grow ops are not happening on their property.

CPAC has also asked Duncan and the Cowichan Valley Regional District to
consider similar bylaws but has received no response.

North Cowichan staff will spend the next few weeks drafting the bylaw with
an eye to having it in place by summer.