Hello to All Property Owners in the MID,
Wishing you all a prosperous, peaceful and safe 2020.
We’re pleased to be starting the New Year on a positive note: the AGM is behind us; a new Board of Directors is elected; a new five-year Business Plan has been adopted.
The seven elected Directors and their portfolios are as follows:
Peter Corbett Chair plus Finance and Governance
Joanne Hichens Vice Chair plus Gardens
Melany Bendix Communication
Buks De Koc Environment
Toby Megaw Public Safety
Dale Simpson Social Development
Beverly Smith Cleaning
All Directors live in and own property in Muizenberg, although some not quite in the MID area itself. In addition, five of the Directors have business interests here which are influenced by the local economy. We all have a stake in the area and are all absolutely committed to ensuring a clean and safe future for Muizenberg residents and business owners, and of course for our visitors who contribute hugely to Muizenberg’s prosperity.
The Business Plan adopted was option 1, voted for overwhelmingly by the members at the AGM.
That plan commits the new Board irrevocably to contracting with a Public Safety Provider on the basis of current service levels and costs. This appointment will be finalised early this year and an announcement will be made thereafter.
The Board is also required to urgently implement a CCTV camera surveillance system. While making that decision and then implementing it will take somewhat longer, we anticipate and look forward to having it up and running during the next few months.
With these two parts of our Public Safety strategy in place a significant decrease in crime can be anticipated.
During the next year there are two other, longer term projects envisaged which will, if successful, be of substantial benefit to Muizenberg: homelessness and the beachfront redevelopment. These must first be fully researched to assess their feasibility and we will regularly update you on the progress.
The issue of homelessness in Muizenberg is very longstanding, and despite many ideas and much debate nothing sustainable has yet to be achieved which can contribute to both upliftment and satisfying community concerns. One potential solution would be the creation of a “safe place” nearby. An excellent example of this has been achieved in Bellville through a local NPO. However, this would require, in our case, buy-in from the Council to fund both the capital cost and most of the annual running costs. This in turn would mean the Council committing to a city wide policy to help deal with the homeless in this way. Can this be achieved? Only time will tell.
The second important project will be to attempt to revive the Council’s Muizenberg Development Plan which some 15 years ago was instrumental in providing the impetus for the hugely successful Beachfront redevelopment. Those of you who recall the Beachfront prior to that will have memories of mainly derelict buildings crumbling from decades of neglect. That plan envisaged three phases, incorporating the entire area from Surfers Corner to the Vlei mouth. Since that time the Council planning structures have undergone several radical changes, and it would appear nobody has thought to follow on from phase 1 and we surmise the Plan lies in some dusty file, forlorn and forgotten. We look forward to finding that file and finding ways to further the development of the local economy and the consequent creation of jobs.
So, your Board has much on its plate for 2020. There is definitely great determination by all of the Directors to act together with common purpose to achieve tangible results.
In the meantime the day-to-day activities must continue. For that purpose we have Michael Lategan, our dedicated Operations Manager, and Tatiana Kelm, who performs all the Administrative work of the MID.
Contact details. Relevant queries can be directed to Michael or Tatiana.
Michael. email ops@mid.org.za Cell 0824631525
Tatiana. Email admin@mid.org.za
Any questions for Directors can be routed via Tatiana.
PETER CORBETT
CHAIR