SMOKING OUT POT PLANTATIONS

The City of Abbotsford is looking to roll up pot growers and smoke them out
as it tightens its stance against marijuana by handing more responsibility
to property owners.

The Controlled Substance Property Bylaw, 2004, passed Monday by council,
supersedes the bylaw currently used by the city. And according to a staff
report that was submitted to council, the bylaw would provide "increased
security measures" while cracking down on marijuana growers.

"The goal for council is to work towards public safety and grow-ops are a
safety hazard," Abbotsford Mayor Mary Reeves said Tuesday. Reeves also
suggested that the latest bylaw, which is awaiting final approval from
Victoria, may be tightened even further in the future. "It is open to
adjustment as need be as new opportunities and concerns are raised," she
said. "It is not a 'be all and end all' document. It is a fluid document
and we will make sure it addresses concerns."

The bylaw changes deem it an offence to make physical changes to a building
for the purposes of a grow-op, and require landlords to be more responsible
for their properties.

Stricter penalties would be handed to owners of properties that have been
used for grow-ops, and more fees could be recouped by the city to recover
costs for dealing with a marijuana grow-op.

The 2004 bylaw would require landlords to inspect their properties at least
once every three months and contact the city within 24 hours if a grow-op
is found.

The bylaw also makes it an offence to disconnect an electrical or water
meter to avoid detection, divert or install exhaust vents in a building,
store "dangerous goods" in a home, obstruct an exit or allow a building to
become mouldy as a result of a grow-op.

On top of that, city staff may enter a property and complete any required
work at the expense of a property owner, post a notice on the building
advising it is unsafe, shut off water within 24 hours of identifying a
grow-op, and occupy a building until a re-occupancy permit is obtained.

The city would be able to enforce its bylaw under the provincial Offence
Act, which carries a maximum penalty of $10,000 or imprisonment of a
maximum of six months.

Alternatively, a municipal ticket can be issued, ordering an offender to
pay a fine depending on the severity of the bylaw infraction.