Pubdate: Mon, 16 Aug 2004
Source: Richmond News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2004, Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.richmond-news.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1244
Author: Chris Miller
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

LANDLORDS BEAR BRUNT OF TOUGHER LAWS

Richmond Coun. Bill McNulty wants Richmond to follow Chilliwack's lead by 
enacting harsh penalties for negligent landlords and building owners when 
grow-ops are found.

"Other municipalities are way ahead of us, and I think it's time we caught 
up," McNulty said.

Chilliwack recently embarked on a tough new set of regulations that will 
allow it to hit landlords or owners with a $10,000 fine if they haven't 
visited the premises in 90 days, as well as about $3,000 in safety 
inspection and certification fees. They can also shut off water to the 
home, fix a damaged home and bill the owner and arrange for fire inspectors 
to enter the home.

"I'm very, very impressed with what they've done," McNulty said. "I think 
the penalties are harsh enough."

Comparing the bylaw to "preventative medicine," McNulty said the point is 
not to penalize landlords, but to ensure they visit the premises they rent. 
With rewired grow-ops sometimes posing a fire hazard, a bylaw with teeth 
could help preserve public safety, he added.

Unlike most Lower Mainland municipalities, Richmond doesn't have a bylaw 
that cracks down on marijuana growing operations. Offences related to 
dangerous buildings, the closest facsimiles, don't do anything to curtail 
the grow-op problem, McNulty said.

While Richmond staff are drafting a grow-op bylaw, expected to be ready 
this fall, McNulty wants to know the fine print now so council can direct 
them. He intends to raise the issue at the committee or council level.

"This is not new for me," McNulty said. "I've been pushing this for well 
over three years."

City spokesman Ted Townsend said the new grow-op bylaw will allow the city 
to recoup costs associated with policing marijuana growing operations.

Similar to a bylaw in Surrey, it would allow Richmond to pass costs for 
surveillance, arrests, seizure of plants, electrical inspections by the 
fire department and building safety inspections to landlords and property 
owners.

Townsend said the bylaw will ensure taxpayers aren't footing the bill for 
offences that could have been curbed by more vigilant landlords.

"It's been talked about on and off (at city hall) for a couple of years," 
Townsend said.

The head of the local RCMP's five-man 'Green Team,' which combats grow-ops, 
likes the idea of a bylaw that pressures landlords to keep tabs on what's 
happening in their rental properties. Compared to Surrey, Chilliwack and 
Vancouver, Richmond's grow-op problem is relatively small, according to 
RCMP Cpl. Bob Pinkewycz.

He wants to keep it that way.

"Richmond is doing quite well, but we don't want to be the only city 
without that bylaw," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager