Pubdate: Fri, 14 Apr 2006
Source: Coquitlam Now, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Lower Mainland Publishing Group, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.thenownews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1340
Author: Jennifer Saltman, Staff Reporter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?228 (Paraphernalia)

LETTER PROPOSED ON POCO'S VALUES

Businesses Could Then Decide What To Sell In Their Stores

PORT COQUITLAM -- A letter detailing Port Coquitlam's community  
values could soon be handed out to business owners selling  
undesirable items such as crack pipes and bear spray in their stores.

Coun. Arlene Crowe broached the idea at a protective services  
committee meeting Thursday, after finding out that the city will wait  
until next spring to explore a bylaw to regulate the sale of  
hydroponics and drug paraphernalia.

"Just a simple letter, that's all I'm interested in," Crowe said.

The document, which would be drafted by staff and reviewed by  
committees and council, would not lay out rules and regulations,  
Crowe said, but would list what Port Coquitlam values.

She said city representatives would give the letters to business  
owners and let them decide what they will sell in their stores

"It's money over people, and that's what bothers me," Crowe said of  
the current situation, where dollar stores advertise "collector  
knives" and "bear spray" and corner stores sell crack pipes.

"I think that's quite a reasonable approach to take," said Nancy  
Gomerich, director of corporate services.

Coun. Darrell Penner agreed that the idea was a great one, but  
wondered how to approach making up a list of the city's values.

Gomerich said that by looking at a model bylaw and the Meth Watch  
program, she would come up with some basic ideas to bring forward.  
She said the soft approach is a good way to introduce what could  
later be put into bylaw form.

"I think that's a great way to start," she said.

There is currently no way for the city to regulate which items are  
sold in individual stores. All the city can do is regulate which  
stores are set up where, and do spot or prohibitive zoning.

The city cannot impose requirements or prohibit shop owners from  
selling certain items.

The RCMP and the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) have put  
together a model bylaw, but legislative changes are needed at the  
provincial level before it goes any further.

"The province seems to be on board for legislative changes," Gomerich  
said.

The bylaw is set to be released to the public during a Lower Mainland  
Municipalities meeting on May 10. After that, the bylaw will go to  
the UBCM convention and will be finished by spring 2007.

Gomerich said the advice she received was that if the city decides to  
go ahead with its own bylaw now, it would be restricted in what it  
could do.

The better option, she said, is to wait for the legislative changes.

"People are on board with the changes and they are supportive," she  
said.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl