NOW LADYSMITH CONSIDERING GROW OP BYLAW

Ladysmith council is looking into a controversial bylaw that requires
rental properties to be regularly inspected for drug activity.

Similar legislation was adopted by North Cowichan council about a
month ago, drawing fire from some landowners who say the bylaw is an
inconvenience.

Landlords are required to ensure their rental properties are inspected
every two months for marijuana-growing operations, said North Cowichan
Mayor Jon Lefebure. It's up to the landlord who performs the inspection.

"In that way you are covered if you discover a grow-op and you report
it to police, you are saved from some of the costs associated with the
cleanup," he said, adding that other jurisdictions have adopted
similar bylaws.

If RCMP do bust a grow-op, the landlord would have to show that
inspections were been made.

"We've had a lot of response from landowners, most negative," Lefebure
said. "There's been a few positive ones. Mostly concerned about the
extra effort and extra costs."

Ladysmith Mayor Rob Hutchins said council is expecting a report on the
bylaw from staff. He said it's too early to say whether he will
endorse a bylaw, but pointed out that grow-ops are a reality in the
community.

A Saltair marijuana grow-op containing 60 plants was busted by
Ladysmith RCMP earlier this month.

"We need to have the tools to help deal with this problem in our
community. If this is a meaningful tool to deal with that, then we
need to take a long hard look at it," said Hutchins. "Often when a
community takes a lead like that it allows us to learn from their
experience."

Al Kemp, CEO of the Rental Owners and Managers Society of B.C., said
the bylaw poses problems for tenants and landlords. "It's a cost to
the landlord, it's an inconvenience to the landlord but more
importantly it's an inconvenience to the tenant."

Kemp doubts that the bylaw will have any impact on drug operations in
residences because landlords must give a minimum of 24 hours before
inspecting a property.

He said the key to preventing grow-ops in rental properties is to weed
out bad tenants before they move in.