COUNCIL PASSES BYLAW TO CURB POT PRODUCTION

A bylaw designed to curb the production of illegal drugs received
some criticism, but passed with unanimous support from council Monday.

Penticton property owner Dianne McEvoy said the Controlled Substance
Property Remediation bylaw still punishes landlords for the criminal
actions of their tenants.

"The person who is doing the illegal activity should be held
responsible first and foremost," she said.

McEvoy, who opposed an earlier version of the same bylaw in the fall
of 2004, predicted that the bylaw will not make a "horrendous"
difference in combating the local drug trade and production because
the city lacks the means to enforce it.

McEvoy instead called for more police officers on the streets,
tougher sentences for those convicted of drug-related crimes and more
police initiative in responding to calls from the public.

But McEvoy, who entered a heated debate with Mayor Jake Kimberley
about the bylaw, did not win any converts.

Kimberley said the bylaw is asking landlords to show some "due
diligence" in making sure that their properties are not used for the
production of illegal substances.

"We must put some onus on property owners," said Kimberley.

Coun. Rory McIvor, a member of the previous council which first
introduced the bylaw, also challenged McEvoy's claim that the new
bylaw violates several existing laws.

The bylaw conforms to all existing federal and provincial laws, he said.

"You may have a concern, but I would respectfully suggest that it is
misplaced," said McIvor.

The bylaw establishes a "road map" by which negligent landlords can
be punished for tolerating drug productions on their properties, said McIvor.

It does not target a wide spectrum of landlords and gives RCMP an
additional tool in their "arsenal" to fight the local drug scene.
Others agreed.

"We are kind of slow here," said Coun. Garry Litke.

The bylaw should have been in place one or two years ago, he said,
adding that other communities have had good experiences with similar
bylaws. He also disagreed with some of the predictions McEvoy made.

"Some of the concerns you have raised will not take place because
they have not taken place in other communities that have such bylaws."

McEvoy raised her concerns after a presentation from Insp. Dan Fudge,
who favoured the bylaw because it will send a message that Penticton
does not tolerate drugs.

It also sends a message to landlords, he said. They have an
obligation to look after their properties, said Fudge.

"It is very important that we pass this bylaw and it will have a
positive impact on our overall drug strategy," he said.