Chairpersons' address: Public Meeting 16Mar'10

Message from new chairman, Charles Wells:

Open with welcome address.

Our family has been in CB since the early 1940’s; myself – we moved back to Cape Town 15 years ago from JHB when our daughter was born. Why are we here? Although Camps Bay is one of the best-known tourist spots around Cape Town, for those of us who live here, we enjoy a unique village type atmosphere which once destroyed will not be easily replaced.

Camps Bay Ratepayers & Residents Association has for over forty years sought to preserve this very special ambience. We have built up an impressive record of service to the whole of our community. Although we are in 21st century and we need to move with the times, we also need to ensure that CB doesn't lose its charm to greedy developers or that the infrastructure is compromised. There is space for all residents of CB to feel they belong to the village.

CBRRA need to be representative of the community and not a select few of residents - eg our committee needs to 'catch' new residents when they move into CB. Maybe estate agents can help us be more pro-active. We need to be more unified with CB Watch & CB Police Forum; better co-ordination amongst ourselves.

But, what about today? Are you happy with the state of the roads and pavements, the parks and shrubbery, the grass behind the beach, your rates, and the overall level of service delivery?

Today there are huge pressures on Camps Bay –

• From property developers who see mega bucks from building multi storey flats quite out of character with the rest of the neighbourhood
• Our beach front is a magnet for anyone wishing to run an event – from simple charity fundraisers to commercial organizations wishing to high jack one of Cape Town’s top spots, totally disregarding the effect on ordinary residents and tourists.
• Some of our precious heritage buildings are under attack – do we want the Round House to become a hotel, or the old stone tram drivers cottages at the bottom of Geneva Drive to be redeveloped?
• The Council is under constant pressure for services such as cleansing, road maintenance, etc. Camps Bay must ensure it gets its fair share.

The Ratepayers is actively involved in all these matters and many more. If you are not yet a member, this is a personal invitation from me as chairman to join us.

As members you enjoy

• Access to our committee, which includes seasoned professionals dedicated to good town planning and protection from unscrupulous developers. Residents MUST be involved so we can be part of shaping our community.
• Help with rate appeals – one of our members recently got a rebate of thousands of Rands thanks to the help he received from us in appealing his rate demands
• Coordinated community projects and events
• Knowledge of what is happening and being planned in the area
• Support from us, a respected civic body with the ability to get things one

Your membership means

• A stronger organization with increased validity and vitality – unity is strength
• Increased bargaining position with the council
• Better community spirit

We not only invite you to become a member of the Association, we also invite new and existing members to become more actively involved by joining our Manco.

The rest of the meeting will give our portfolio chairmen and women the chance to report in more detail what is happening and what we have achieved in the past few months. I think you will be impressed.

Charles Wells (CBRRA Chairman)


Message from outgoing Chairperson, Trudi Groenewald:

CBRRA Management Committee (ManCo) had gained two new members, Richard Dames and Charles Wells. At the beginning of 2010 because of pressure of work I asked to be allowed to withdraw as chair of CBRRA but had remained on ManCo. Charles Wells had been elected chairman, with John Powell as vice chairman.

We had been a meeting with the security sector – Camps Bay Watch, Camps Bay Community Police Forum, Camps Bay Community Security Initiative, to ensure liaison.

Events had been scrutinized by Brenda Herbert to ensure that the general Camps Bay community was not inconvenienced and that commercial interests were not allowed to dominate the beach. A liaison meeting had been held with the City’s Events Dept.

Environmental issues were ably dealt with by Johan van Papendorp and Richard Dames.

The Supreme Court of Appeal Bloemfontein had dismissed the case brought by CBRRA and PS Booksellers regarding a house partially built on the corner of Geneva Drive and Blinkwater Road. There would be a fuller report later in the evening by Chris Willemse. However, I would like to express particular thanks to three benefactors: Doug Cleland, J Copeland and Chris Willemse, who had provided interest free loans to the association in order to fight the case.

Dogwalking on Camps Bay beach is a contentious subject. CBRRA plans to approach the City Council to bring in a new bylaw. This proposal would be posted on the CBRRA blog and CBRRA ask for feedback from the general public before we submit to the Sub-council Ward Forum. Proposed (not confirmed): In summer up to 09h00 dogs could be walked off leash. From 09h00 to 18h00 dogs would be banned. From 18h00 onwards dogs could be walked on leash. In winter, dogs could be exercised up to 11h00 off leash and then for the rest of the day they could be walked on leash.

I thank all the members of the ManCo for their hard work and support.

A thank you also to The Bay Hotel for providing the venue for the meeting.

Trudi Groenewald (Ex-chairperson)