POT INSPECTION BYLAW TO BE SCALED BACK

North Cowichan's bylaw mandating bi-monthly property inspections for
illegal drug operations may soon be dropped to once every six months.

In a f4-3 vote -- mayor Jon Lefebure and councillors Ruth Hartmann
and Glen Ridgway against -- council has sent the bylaw back to the
drawing board.

Councillor Dave Haywood told council the current bylaw is onerous on
landlords and unnecessary.

"I am optimistic that (the new bylaw) would serve the object of the
inspection program and at the same time respect the privacy of the
tenants," Haywood said.

Lefebure wanted council to evaluate the required two month
inspections at the end of a year's implementation, which started in February.

For Carol-Ann Rolls, manager of Cowichan Community Policing Advisory
Committee's programs, council's decision is disappointing. Since 2005
the committee researched the bylaw and hoped North Cowichan would
lead the way in an Island-wide strike against grow operations and
crystal meth labs.

"The inspections would interrupt a grow cycle. Once every six months
will do nothing," Rolls said.

She added inspections don't have to be intrusive to tenants.
Landowners trained to look for signs of illegal operations can simply
walk around the outside of the property.

She said the community is so concerned about drug labs it helped
raise $15,000 for the RCMP to purchase thermal imaging technology to
aid in proactive detection of grow operations.

"Council passed the bylaw and initially said they would back it for a
year," Rolls said. "We needed a year to at least see how it was going."

Since the bylaw's introduction it was met with resistance by some
landowners and property managers.