SHORTER NOTICE FOR SUSPECT PROPERTIES

An amendment to Langley Township's controlled substance property bylaw
has been adopted by Township council.

The amended bylaw creates a shorter notice period to property owners
or occupants of property suspected of housing drug production facilities.

Now, with 24 hours notice, Langley fire and bylaw officials, with
Langley RCMP assistance, will be authorized to enter into suspected
premises, to check for fire and electrical safety violations.

Fees to the owner of a home found in violation will be $3,500 at
minimum.

And the cost to remediate problems with wiring, or to make the
building safe for renewed habitation, may be even costlier.

Township Fire Chief Doug Wade, after third reading of the amending
bylaw, said the Township's existing controlled-substance, fire
services and electrical safety regulations give ample authority for
safety inspections of suspected marijuana grow operations or drug
production facilities.

Now the notice period has been shortened, in line with adjacent
municipalities. On March 12, council approved $250,000 from 2007
budget contingencies, to fund a pilot program to conduct the
inspections.

Wade expects cost recoveries will reduce the burden on the taxpayers
over time.

The bylaw allows $500 fees for each additional inspection after the
first, which will cost offenders $3,500. Other fees include shutting
off water, $500; reconnecting, $100; re-inspecting and re-sealing
water system after alteration or tampering, $500; removal of posted
"Do Not Occupy" sign, $1,000; extension time, $100; register
land-title notice, $150 and discharge land-title notice, $150.

There are also other fees payable under all applicable Township
bylaws.

In 2006 (including January 2007) the Township invoiced offending
property owners a total of $98,862, including $49,965 for emergency
response costs and $45,897 for building permits and inspections to
ensure that the premises were remediated to safe-living conditions.

To March 5, $70,137, or 75 per cent of these charges, have been
paid.

Administrator Mark Bakken expects a majority of the expenditures
related to grow-op and drug production inspections will be recovered
by the Township.