The NKRA is grateful for the support provided in the 4th Street park by our park sponsors RUSSELL FISHER PROPERTIES and VISION TACTICAL SECURITY and the KILLARNEY MALL, and for the street cleaning services provided by RCS SECURITY SERVICES.

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MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF THE 16th OCTOBER 2019

MINUTES FOR THE MONTHLY PUBLIC MEETING OF THE
NEW KILLARNEY-RIVIERA ASSOCIATION
HELD AT SHOP 56 OF THE KILLARNEY MALL
ON WEDNESDAY 16 OCTOBER 2019 AT 17H00

PRESENT: Wayne Ford (Killarney Village); Ruth Kuper (Gleneagles); Charles Whyte (Beverley Heights); Mike Kalk (Brenthurst Court); Floh Thiele (La Camargue); Vivienne Cobbett (Biarritz); Eleanor Huggett (Ward Councillor); Jenna Segal (Interlaken); Sergeant NH Mdlolo (SAPS); Margaret Urban (Hanover Gate); Tony Mantle (Gleneagles).

1. WELCOME
Wayne welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. APOLOGIES RECEIVED
Dean Dada (RCS Security); Dimitri Clayton (Brenthurst Court); Julie Wilson (Killarney Hills); Hussein Dudhia (Hampshire Mews); Dalien Rutenberg (Glenhof Gardens).

3. DISCUSSION OF TIME CONSTRAINT
• We will strive to keep the discussions short and relevant, so as to finish by 6pm.

4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
• The Minutes of the previous meeting were taken as read, and were approved.

5. SECURITY FEEDBACK / SECTOR CRIME FORUM
• Sergeant Mdlolo reported the crime statistics for the last month, as follows: Assault 2; Kidnapping 1; Armed robbery 1; Theft of Vehicles 3; Theft out of Vehicles 3; Shoplifting 3; Malicious damage to property 2.
• The SAPS made 10 arrests during the period.
• The SAPS have a “kiosk”, which is used to improve police visibility. It rotates around the Hillbrow precinct. The meeting requested that when it comes to Killarney, it should be positioned at the corner of 1st Street and Killarney Ave, where the main drug selling takes place. It can be moved around on subsequent occasions.
• Our efforts to obtain information about the Mall’s future development plans have been blocked by the municipal planning officials on grounds of confidentiality. They have guided us to address our questions via their PAIA process. Cllr Huggett is assisting us in pursuing this formal route. This is not a quick process, and there is no guarantee of eventual success.
• Charles reported that the street-drinking in the block of 1st Street behind Daventry Court has largely cleared up. We suspect that our NKRA security camera has contributed to this, and undoubtedly our Safe Zone Project with RCS Security has worked wonders. However with the holiday season fast approaching, we cannot afford to get complacent.
• Our application to join the project where residents provide JMPD with a car, in exchange for having two officers dedicated to Killarney, is still under consideration by JMPD. We have not been given any date for the completion of this process. Cllr Huggett was asked to follow up on this for us, through the official councillor channels.
• All residents are asked to take photos of JMPD cars and personnel, whenever you notice them not doing their job. It has been proved that JMPD responds faster when we have the kind of evidence that could be used on a TV show.
• It was noted that the City is aware of the large population of homeless people living on the motorway embankments, but that they cannot relocate the people because the alternative accommodation is all full.
• Floh reported back that the October CPF meeting had discussed of all our issues. The CPF is going to contact the provincial Department of Community Safety, to ask them to put extra pressure on the JMPD to do their jobs.
• The meeting elected Floh Thiele as our official Sector representative to the Hillbrow Community Policing Forum, assisted by Melissa Davidson.
• Floh and Melissa were thanked by the meeting for taking on this responsibility, and for their efforts thus far.
• It was mentioned that a Smartphone App exists for reporting issues to JMPD, which apparently gives good results. If anybody is aware of this App, please would you share the details?
• Wayne emphasised to Cllr Huggett the importance of fixing these problems before they get worse. We are all aware of the problems in Hillbrow and Berea, and we all want to avoid this happening in Killarney as well. The fact that drinkers and drug sellers feel they can act with impunity, while JMPD does absolutely nothing, is a very bad sign for the future.
• Wayne emphasised to Cllr Huggett that we are EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED by the poor service we get from the JMPD, and that while we understand that the City has many other challenges, we would prefer that JMPD adopts a “prevention is better than cure” attitude rather than waiting for the problem to get even worse before they do anything.
• Cllr Huggett was also asked to communicate our EXTREME FRUSTRATION to the mayoral committee member for JMPD (Mr Sun).
• Cllr Huggett was again asked to invite Inspector Lamao of JMPD to our meetings.
• It was noted that our meetings with senior DA officer Mervyn Cirota had yielded absolutely zero improvements, and that Cirota has now been transferred to Pretoria. Cllr Huggett undertook to set up a meeting with his replacement.
• Sgt Mdlolo can be contacted on 071 675 6000. Please call her directly if there is any problem requiring the SAPS.
• When you notice a problem developing with a street party or similar, please first call the City emergency hotline on 011 375 5911 and ask the operator to log a call for you. Don’t let them just transfer you to JMPD, make sure they first log a call for you with a reference number. If JMPD don’t thereafter arrive within about 30 minutes, then contact the Councillor with your reference number and ask her to chase JMPD for service.
• Councillor Huggett can be contacted by the community at any time, by SMS or WhatsApp, on 071 785 8068.

6. FEEDBACK FROM COUNCILLORS
• The City has created a new Special Rating Area initiative, which is very similar to the old City Improvement District initiative. This involves a huge amount of red tape, but if successful it will allow an approved suburb to require the City to charge residents extra rates and taxes, which money will be paid over to a specially-created community organisation to use to fix up the suburb. This effectively amounts to having us all pay additional taxes to get the services we need. Such a project will require the prior written approval of at least 60% of all property owners in the defined area. The chances of this being achieved are considered to be very small. The detailed policy will be circulated together with the minutes, for feedback
• It was noted that our meetings with senior DA officer Mervyn Cirota had yielded absolutely zero improvements, and that Cirota has now been transferred to Pretoria. Cllr Huggett undertook to set up a meeting with his replacement.

7. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
• As part of our Spring Plan for the gardens in the park, some equipment needed to be purchased. This was authorised at the previous meeting. Wayne has bought for the park a pick for R350, work boots for Nolicent for R350, and R140 of dry marigold seeds. The meeting authorised that Wayne be refunded for these expenditures.
• JRA have not yet done any of the requested pavement repairs in Killarney, and we have not yet been able to find a recommended supplier of asphalt paving repairs. Please let us know if you can recommend a company that does asphalt surface repairs.
• It was noted that some pavements get very messy very quickly, with littering seeming to be on the increase in several streets. The City’s street sweepers do not come around all that often. Most buildings therefore keep their own pavements clean, using their internal employees. In addition the NKRA has a project to clear overflowing pavement bins, sponsored by RCS Security, and that man also picks up litter on pavements and gutters during his rounds. If the litter becomes a serious problem, we can consider to hire our own “NKRA sweeper” to help out in problem areas, but one man cannot cover the whole suburb every day. Meanwhile, all buildings are again asked to help with this problem as best they can, as a litter-strewn pavement seems to attract even more litter.
• Please would all residents continue to report problems on roads and pavements to the JRA at http://www.jra.org.za/find-and-fix-mobile-app, or call 011 375 5555. Please keep the reference numbers for follow-up.
• Please also use the number 0860 562 874 to report all road and pavement-related problems to the municipality. This includes all cases of rubble being dumped on pavements, potholes in roads or pavements, road signs in need of repair, streetlights not working, blocked storm-drains, or traffic lights out of order. You can also report all of these issues to the call centre hotline number – 080 872 3342. Please keep the reference numbers for follow-up.

8. FINANCE AND MEMBERSHIP
• There have been no changes in membership since the last meeting.

9. GENERAL
• There were no issues under general.

The meeting was closed, with thanks to the Killarney Mall for hosting us.

Our next meeting will be held on
WEDNESDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2019 at 5pm

PLEASE PASS ON THESE MINUTES TO OTHER RESIDENTS IN YOUR BUILDINGS

JMPD call centre hotline number – 080 872 3342
JMPD Control Room – 011 758 9620
City emergency hotline on 011 375 5911
SAPS patrol van – 071 675 6001
If you get no response from the patrol van, please call 10111
Councillor Huggett – by SMS or WhatsApp – 071 785 8068