Council to consider new bylaw to deal with grow-ops and drug labs

By Adrian Nieoczym Kelowna.com: Thursday, October 29th, 2009 | 5:38 pm

City council will take up a proposed “safe premises” bylaw next week to deal with dangerous conditions common in buildings used as marijuana grow-ops or methamphetamine labs. If it is passed, the bylaw would allow building inspectors to declare buildings unsafe and prevent people from occupying them if an electrical, water or natural gas meter has been disconnected or bypassed, venting systems exhaust into the building or where hazardous substances commonly used in grow-ops or drug labs are located. As well, buildings could be declared unsafe if high levels of mould are present. The bylaw would also give the city the power to turn off water service to buildings used as grow-ops. Violations of the bylaw could result in fines between $5,000 and $10,000. If passed, the new bylaw would be in addition to the grow-op bylaw passed by council in 2005.