CITY SHOWING GROW-OPS ZERO TOLERANCE

The City of Abbotsford has indicated it will show zero tolerance in
enforcing a grow-op bylaw that financially hits homeowners.

Abbotsford council unanimously agreed Monday to side against Dan Slanina, a
property owner who was appealing a $2,216 bill slapped on him by Abbotsford
Police.

Officers busted a marijuana grow-op in Slanina's house - at 2713 St Moritz
Way - in November last year.

And even though Slanina said he knew nothing of his tenants' illegal
activity, the city agreed he should pay the extraordinary costs accrued by
officers who dealt with the operation.

It is the first appeal made to the city since it tightened up a controlled
substances bylaw late last year, eliminating a clause which gave homeowners
a second-chance if a grow-op was found in their property.

Coun. Ed Fast said the decision made the city's stance clear.

"By supporting the police force we are sending a message to the community -
we are not going to let this slip through the cracks. We are going to
address this, and we are going to address this firmly," Fast said at the
executive committee meeting.

Coun. George Peary said he believes the system is, "working the way we
designed it to work."

And Mayor Mary Reeves said landowners must take responsibility for their
own tenants.

"My advice to landowners would be to pick up the rental cheque every months
themselves so you can check on your own property," Reeves said.

Slanina - who briefly addressed councillors at the meeting - had previously
submitted a letter to council pleading his case.

He said he had been hit by an overall bill of more than $8,000, which
included property repairs and lost rental income, on top of the police costs.

"Why are you not going after the people you charged with the grow-up to pay
these costs?" Slanina asked in his letter.

"I realize as a homeowner you are responsible for tenants that you put in
your house but it is virtually impossible to know what they are doing
behind closed doors."

Slanina added that he checked the references of his tenants, who told him
they were "heavily involved" with a local church.

"They seemed to me like model tenants . . . I just don't know how you can
inspect a tenant's house without it getting to the point where you annoy
them," he wrote.

"I mean, when a person pays $1200 a month, a certain amount of privacy
comes along with that, don't you think so?"

The city bylaw enforces the payment of all "extraordinary" fees involved in
taking down a grow-op. In this case, according to Abbotsford Police Chief
Ian Mackenzie, it was for police overtime.

In a report submitted to council, Mackenzie wrote that on Nov. 21 last
year, Abbotsford Police Department responded to a 911 call regarding a
disturbance and "shots fired" at 2713 St Moritz Way.

Two men with head injuries were seen outside the house, according to the
report, and when police went inside the home to investigate further, they
discovered the grow-op.

A total of 1,513 plants and 29 lights were found on three of the house's
four floors.

It was the second grow-op police had discovered at that property in two years.