MINUTES Jun 09: AGM

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting
of the Camps Bay Ratepayers and Residents Association held on 22 June 2009 at the Rotunda, The Bay Hotel, Camps Bay at 19h30, are below. This document, marked third draft, has been approved by the Management Committee and will be submitted for ratification at the next AGM.


1. Attendance

Trudi Groenewald (Chair), Cllr M Haywood, Cllr T Amira, John Powell, Chris Willemse, Jane Bodin, Brenda Herbert. An attendance register was circulated and signed by 120 people.


2. Apologies

Ann Caras, Colin Carter, Tony & Pru Hare, Dimitri Karakondis, Johan van Papendorp, Cllr J P Smith, David Taylor.


3. Chairperson’s Report (Trudi Groenewald)

• Thanks were given to Colin Carter, John Powell and Chris Willemse for help with the chairman’s duties when she had been away for two months.
• It had been difficult without a secretary following the resignation last year of Ann Caras but the management committee plans to reorganize the way it works to make it more effective.
• Thanks were given to Johan van Papendorp for ensuring that CBRRA was registered as a conservation body.
• Thanks were given to Alma Horn for rejuvenating the CBRRA blogspot http://campsbayratepayers.blogspot.com.
  
• Plans for a beach upgrade had not materialized, the money had been spent on pedestrian crossings.
• Ward Forum – Camps Bay competed for attention among the more desperate matters in the Greater Hout Bay context and the more representatives of Camps Bay that attended these meetings the better.
• There was ongoing liaison with the Good Hope Sub Council sub council thanks to John Powell.
• On finance, thanks were given to the treasurer Mary Lloyd. The Association had new auditors, Haak Fourie Snyman. Dedicated individuals had provided CBRRA with the means of continuing its court case, for which loans CBRRA expressed its grateful thanks.
• Membership stood at 600 – not all paid up – and thanks were given to Dimitri Karakondis for his membership drive.
• Planning as always involved a tremendous amount of work. 15 planning agreements had been signed up between neighbours, owners and developers – for which Chris Willemse was thanked.
• The date for the hearing in the Supreme Court of Appeal re the Harrison case had been set down for August.
• The management committee had lost four members – Colin Carter, Bernard Schafer (because of the changed relationship between CBRRA and safety and security organizations), Thomas Geh and Andrew Jankovich (whose work had taken him abroad). However, Colin Carter had indicated that he was available for special projects. The chairperson made an appeal for more members of the community to come forward and volunteer their services on the management committee, even if only for specific tasks. Retiring members were thanked.

4. Safety, Security and Beach Events

4.1 Safety and Security (John Powell)

Safety and security was not on the constitution of the CBRRA as a core activity. Some two or three years ago Bernard Schafer was invited onto the CBRRA committee. He revived the Camps Bay Community Police Forum (CBCPF) and started Camps Bay Watch (CBW), as well as developing the Camps Bay Communi8ty Security Initiative (CBCSI). Bernard Shafer was thanked for all his good work In April it was agreed by both CBRRA and the above security group that CBRRA and the security groups now act independently of each other. CBRRA believed it more logical that law enforcement, beach security, vagrancy, traffic and related issues such as car guards be tackled by the other community security organizations although it would continue to keep in touch.


4.2 Chairman of the Community Police Forum and Operations Manager of CBCSI (Bernard Shafer)

• Bernard Shafer stressed the importance of the various bodies concentrating on their areas of specialization.
• The next meeting devoted to safety and security was 18.30 Monday 13 July 2009 at the Rotunda and he urged everyone to attend.

4.3 Chairman of Camps Bay Watch (Ian Merrington)

• Camps Bay Watch now has 1200 members, 300 of which are businesses and there are 400 active patrollers.
• There would continue to be strong liaison with CBRRA.

4.4 Community Events / Licences (John Powell)

• John Powell advised that comments back to the council would come from CBRRA while safety and security aspects would be left to the security organizations.
• CBRRA would continue to co-operate in monitor granting of liquor licenses.

5. Guest Speakers

5.1 Chairman of the Good Hope Sub Council (Cllr Taki Amira)

• In the coming weeks there will be several documents published ready for public comment.
• The most important of these will be the fifth and final draft of the new Cape Town Zoning Scheme.
• Cllr Amira stressed the valuable role of ratepayer organizations and was himself a great proponent of public participation.
• Security Huts – in the previous week he had chaired a meeting of interested parties including CBRRA and the CBCSI. Basically security huts were illegal but the previous mayor had agreed a moratorium on the demolition of illegal huts until a new municipal bylaw was in place to control them. Any new regulations would apply across the whole of the municipality not just Camps Bay. The Dept of Transport and Roads had been given the responsibility to come up with guidelines for a new bylaw and they would be coming back in August, until which time matters were postponed.

5.2 Cllr Marga Haywood

• Cllr Haywood thanked the members of Ward 74 (which includes Camps Bay) for a 30% increase in votes for the DA at the general election.
• She stressed the very important role of civic organizations. Meetings of the Good Hope Sub Council now took place at 44 Wale Street.
• Regarding the loosening of ties between CBRRA and the security organizations, she found this totally logical. There were three spheres of government – national, provincial and local. Civilian oversight of the police came under national competence, while ratepayers and residents associations were local competence.

6. Presentation by Camps Bay Community Medics (Ralph Lepar and Shane Fascio)

• CBCM had been set up eleven years ago as a free service to the residents and visitors of Camps Bay. They aimed to arrive at the scene of an emergency within 5 to 10 minutes. In South Africa only 30% of ambulance calls were answered within 20 minutes.
• CBCM was in the process of registering as a PBO so that donors were eligible for tax relief.
• The association is setting up a data base to allow residents the option of having certain medical details easily accessible to CBCM to facilitate the best treatment in an emergency without delay.
• A member of the audience pointed out that CBCM needed financial support from the general public to continue and expand this very valuable service.

7. Minutes

7.1 Approval of Minutes of AGM 23 June 2008
Proposed: Cllr M Haywood
Seconded: Doug Cleland
Carried unanimously

7.2 Approval of Minutes of Public Meeting 23 February 2009
Proposed: John Powell
Seconded: Theo de Rijk
Carried unanimously


8. Matters Arising

Camps Bay Police Station – Bernard Shafer had asked permission to use the public open space next to the Police Station for temporary accommodation. As yet there was no response from the Council. The fate of the police station and possible new premises was an ongoing matter.


9. Financial Report (John Powell)

• Copy of the financial report attached to these minutes.
• Cash in hand at December 2008 was R80,000.
• The association had incurred a debt of R570,000 in legal fees, mainly in fighting the Harrison case. In was thanks to certain individuals who had made loans to the Association that CBRRA had been able to continue to take the fight to the Supreme Court of Appeal.

10. Amendments to the CBRRA Constitution

A number of minor alterations are needed to the constitution in order to enable CBRRA to obtain PBO status. These would be advertised and tabled at the next CBRRA public meeting.


11. Oudekraal Development Prospects (John Powell)

• See separate report attached to these minutes ‹‹here››.
• The meeting was not being asked to comment or vote at this meeting because of the early stage of events.

12. Special Rates Areas and City Improvement Districts (John Powell)

• In terms of the Rates Act of 2004 there is the option for property owners in a clearly defined geographical area to raise levies to top up services. Previously known as City Improvement Districts, these are now referred to as Special Rates Areas.
• Some years ago attempts were made to turn the whole of Camps Bay into a CID. CIDs were never designed for residential areas and it was rejected.
• CBRRA is not pushing for the establishment of an SRA. However, if in due course a committee was formed to try and achieve this CBRRA would assist where it could.
• CIDs were based on a percentage of rates. SRAs could be more flexible and allow property owners to claim relief.
  
• Read more about SRA's ‹‹here››
  

13. Planning & Heritage – Working to Ensure Sensitive Developments (Chris Willemse)

13.1 A number of examples of the problems faced by residents of Camps Bay and CBRRA were given.

• 17 Ottawa Avenue – exceeded height restrictions, Council now asking owner to rectify plans/building to ensure compliance.
• 17 Geneva Drive – recently renovated house that has suddenly became three separate units. CBRRA still negotiating with owner.
• 24 Geneva Drive – this is a six floor building with plans had been incorrectly approved by Council. An adjoining neighbour, Dennis van der Westhuizen, with the support of the CBRRA successfully applied to the Western Cape High Court for an order interdicting the developer from any further onstruction on the site. This order is still in place.
• Harrison House, Cnr Geneva Drive and Blinkwater Road – case to be heard in the Supreme Court of Appeal, Bloemfontein on 25 August 2009. The City of Cape Town had decided to oppose this appeal. Individuals who had made loans CBRRA to enable it to continue legal proceedings were thanked. CBRRA is grateful to its advocates who are working on the appeal on a contingency basis.
• 35 Upper Tree Road – a completely unsuitable building was being constructed. Neighbours were appealing to the high court for an interdict.
• 30 Ottawa Avenue – CBRRA negotiating an agreement between the neighbours and the developer.
• 2 Woodhead Close – a renovation now comprised two “basements” plus three floors. Neighbours had objected and obtained a High Court interdict to stop construction on the top floor. Revised plans had been submitted and it appears that the Council will approve these plans, even though there is no material difference with the previously approved plans. The owner had continued to build in defiance of the interdict and is now being sued by the neighbours for contempt of court.
• 5 Petrel Close – again an additional floor had been designated a basement and plans approved.

13.2 General Comments

• Position of City of Cape Town
  The City Council were constantly trying to defend their own planners and, in the opinion of the speaker, developers. CBRRA were urging their elected representatives to put political pressure, especially to withdraw from the Harrison case.
  

• Agreements
  In this calender, thus far, year CBRRA had negotiated 15 agreements between owners, developers and neighbours. The number of planning applications had reduced from approximately three to four a week month to about three a month.
  

• Camps Bay
  was growing and it would densify particularly due to the scarcity and the value of the land. The change should be managed to ensure sensitive development. CBRRA was there as an arbiter.
  

• A recent ruling
  by the Supreme Court of Appeal relating to a Johannesburg matter, had clarified grounds on which the local authorities must treat derogation from value of neighbouring properties and general suitability. The SCA ruled that you can not derogate from the value of your neighbours' property if you're building within all applicable laws, except in very exceptional circumstances.
  

• Cllr J P Smith,
  outgoing Chair, was thanked for his support in matters relating to the Good Hope Sub Council.

14. The Next Municipal Rates Revaluation (John Powell)

• The council could revalue property ratable values every four years. However it is entitled to execute a revaluation within a shorter period and has announced that the new valuations would run from 1 July 2009 with billing based on the revised values on 1 July 2010.
• If a property value were to reduce it would not necessarily result in a reduction in rates payable because the council could increase the rate in the rand to enable it to pay for an ever increasing budget.
• CBRRA is going to publish a guide to new municipal rates valuations by John Powell, (available from campsbayratepayers@gmail.com, att John Powell)

15. Election of Management Committee for 2009/2010

The following, all members of the current management committee, were willing to stand:-
Jane Bodin, Trudi Groenewald, Brenda Herbert, Dimitri Karakondis, John Powell, John van Papendorp, Chris Willemse.

Mary Lloyd was willing to continue as treasurer

An appeal was made for volunteers from those present.

Acceptance of those willing to stand:
Proposed: Val Cleland
Seconded: Pieter Visser
Carried unanimously


16. General

Thanks were given to the management of The Rotunda for use of the venue and refreshments.

The meeting closed at 21h30.