Muizenberg Improvement District held its annual general meeting on Thursday 23 November with a quorum of 60 members, present in person and proxy, out of the current 289-strong membership. Aside from the usual business of AGM’s there were 2 significant decisions made:
LPR and CCTV Camera Funding
It was proposed that R100,000 surplus funds be allocated in the MID’s current financial year to support the Ward 64 control room initiative which is being setup at the Traffic Department in Lakeside. This allocation for funds allows MID to the purchase LPR and CCTV cameras that will help “close the loop” in the greater camera network which is already operational in many parts of Cape Town.
LPR stands for License Plate Recognition – one of the big advantages of an LPR camera system is that computer software reads and recognizes number plates and screens them against a database of “vehicles of interest” without the need for 24-hour screen monitoring! The LPR network enables live tracking of stolen or vehicles involved in crimes – as the LPR camera system flags the vehicle as it makes its progress through various neighbourhoods, helping authorities and neighbourhood watches to know where to look for the perpetrators.
The cameras purchased by MID will remain the property of MID, but will be monitored by the Ward 64 control room. Councillor Aimee Kuhl explained at the meeting that the Ward 64 control room is a public / private partnership that is reliant on the community and stakeholders to support it. In fact, Safer Together has already also made a donation to fund one LPR camera. She confirmed that she is currently motivating for Metro, Traffic and Law Enforcement to monitor during office hours, but the system will be reliant on vetted neighbourhood watch members and safety and security service providers to monitor at night. The initiative is fully supported by Mayoral Committee Member, JP Smith.
MID members present at the meeting approved the allocation of the funds and requested that a follow-up session is convened by MID in March 2018 to provide members with a more detailed analysis, implementation and maintenance plan.
Election of MID Board
The MID Board may consist of up to 7 directors and this year 9 people made themselves available for election. The MID Board for the 2018 year was elected as follows:
- Marion Wagner
- Karen Hultzer
- Wayne Turner
- Megan Cross
- Kevin Rack
- Heide Goodman
- Johan Lotter
The board will appoint portfolios at the first board meeting in December.
Thank you!
Community members at the meeting were enthusiastic in acknowledging the 2017 MID Board for their achievements over the past year. Being a MID Director is a voluntary position and a lot of hard work, but they carried the responsibility with dedication and enthusiasm. Well done!