Minutes AGM 19 August 2010

CAMPS BAY RATEPAYERS AND RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

MINUTES OF THE CBRRA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD AT THE ROTUNDA BALLROOM, CAMPS BAY AT 7-30 PM ON 19 AUGUST 2010

1. Welcome and apologies

Chairperson Charles Wells welcomed all to the meeting and thanked the Rotunda hotel for its kind hospitality.

Apologies : Jane Bodin

Present : 75 persons per the attendance record.

2. Chairperson’s report

Chairperson Charles Wells covered the following items :

Commended and thanked the Management committee for its continuous efforts and commitment which involved many hours of hard work. Sincere thanks are especially due to Dimitri Karakondis for all his hard work while on the CBRRA Manco

He asked that more residents become involved in CBRRA affairs on an active basis - the committee urgently needs new members and for R 200 pa, CBRRA distributes a wide range of advice

Activities during the last year included :

Removing illegal changerooms from the beachfront

Assisting ratepayers to reduce their accounts

Removing signage

Cleaning up The Glen, The Little Glen and public spaces – thanks also to residents who were active in this respect

Dogwalking hours on the beach survey and recommendation of revised hours

Co-ordinated beach events

Alerted the Council and buyers to the historic worth of the stone cottages on Geneva Drive

Prompted the Council to donate trees for planting in Camps Bay

Assisted schools in their efforts to renew their sportsfields leases

Supported Camps bay medics including donations

Representation on the Camps Bay Community Poilce Forum and Liquor Licensing committee.

Registered as a non-Profit Organisation

Cutting road verges aat the right time if the year

Upgraded CBRRA’s ITconbtacts, including the blog (± 7000hits in its first year), the website, Twitter and Facebook

Membership (at 25% of the amount of families) could be much better

and members are requested urgently to pay their subscriptions – only three quarters of the registered membership have paid their 2010 subscriptions and we are rebilling the non-payers shortly

Please encourage your friends and neighbours to join CBRRA

Bernard Schafer of the CBCSI reported on the establishment of the newly-founded Social Workers project with a donation of R 40 000 from Blues Restaurant - the aim of which is to look at and tackle the vagrancy problem in Camps Bay. He also referred to the newly reformed Camps Bay Business Forum.

3. Approval of 2009 AGM minutes

Proposed by John Powell, seconded by Alma Horn - carried unanimously. Matters arising were dealt with within the following items.

4. Election of Manco members for 2010 11

The existing Manco committee was re-elected en bloc plus new member Michele Harvey

5. Speaker on Cape Town Tourism

Mariette du Toit spoke on the manner in which Cape Town Tourism had dealt with and learned from the whole FIFA World Cup experience, which had been a very successful project for CTT.

6. Camps Bay Community Medics

Leigh Goldschmidt of CBCM outlined their current activities and capabilities and thanked CBRRA and residents for their ongoing support. CBCM is still looking for a permanent base in this area from which to operate.

7. Financial report

The audited financial report has not been finalized and will be presented at the next CBRRA public meeting

Cash in hand in December was R 4864,00 and at present is ±R 23 000,00 after further income and payments. The outstanding loan to

three lenders is R 77 500,00 after recent further repayments

±R 40 000,00 of subscriptions remain unpaid

8. Cllr. Marga Haywood

Cllr. Haywood emphasized that the first port of call for complaints and enquiries in respect of the Council was the Council officials, not her – she being our political representative to whom officials reported.

Matters of policy should currently be forwarded to her and Cllrs. Smith and Amira.

The new Ward boundary after next year’s municipal election between Camps Bay and Sea Point will be from Victoria Road up Geneva Drive / Camps Bay Drive to Kloof Nek.

This means that Camps Bay will be served by two Councillors in future

The public now has input on the manner in which the City spends its budget

Cllr. Haywood has inserted the upgrading of the main Camps Bay beachfront and the proposed Fulham Road bypass onto the City’s long

term budget

9. Rates

John Powell referred members to his article in the Atlantic Sun in respect of their current dealings with the City Valuations Department.

Transfer fees for properties sold after the valuation date but which had not had the valuation finally agreed after an objection would be based on the new valuation and not on the requested lower value if an objection had been lodged but not finalized..

If an objection has not been finalized, do not pay the rates amount newly billed but negotiate with the Valuation Department to pay the old rates bill plus say 10% until the objection has been finalised.

10. Energy

Roger Trythall and Wouter Roggen presented an illustrated talk on ensuring energy security, resource conservation and environmental resource managemnt.

11. Dogwalking Survey feedback

The following proposal was put on the CBRRA blog for residents and the public to respond to :

CBRRA’s proposal is:

ITEM 1: DOGWALKING ON THE MAIN CAMPS BAY BEACH:

SUMMER: 01 November to 30 April

a. Dogs only on leashes - 6 pm to 5 am

b. Dogs not on leashes - 5 am to 9 am

c. No dogs allowed on beach - 9 am to 6 pm.

WINTER: 01 May to 31 October

d. Dogs only on leashes – 3 pm to 6 am

e. Dogs not on leashes - 6 am to 11 am

f. No dogs allowed on beach - 11 am to 3 pm

As a further initiative we wish to gauge your reaction to the following proposal:

ITEM 2: DOGWALKING IN THE GLEN:

All areas except The Glen picnic area:

a. OFF LEASH: ALL HOURS

The Glen picnic area:

b. ON LEASH: Saturday & Sunday 12h00 to sunset.

c. OFF LEASH: All hours except the abovementioned.

There was a gratifying 83% support response to the above proposals and it was accepted at this meeting by those present.

Trudi Groenewald and John Powell are to submit this to the Ward Forum to take matters further.

12. Planning

Chris Willemse reported and first thanked Charles Wells on behalf of CBRRA and its members and the public for his great leadership and contribution this last year as Chairperson of CBRRA.

Departure etc planning applications are currently at about three per month as compared with four a week three years ago.

There have been eight legal agreements this year organized by CBRRA between it, applicants and affected neighbours in respect of planning applications.

“The Crystal” development remains a serious problem – now having been declared complete and inhabitable by occupants in spite of still, in CBRRA’s opinion, being illegal.

At a recent meeting with Cllr Nieuwoudt, Piet van Zyl and Ossie Gonsalves, Cllr Nieuwoudt has promised CBRRA a Declarator on this matter.

The Concourt judgement in the Harrison case appeal is still awaited.

13. Any other matters and questions from the floor.

None

14. Date of next meeting.

Still to be decided and announced.

15. The meeting ended at 9-45 pm