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Now Ladysmith Considering Grow Op Bylaw
By Hempology | April 23, 2007
Cowichan Valley Citizen
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.
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