MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF THE 15th FEBRUARY 2017

MINUTES FOR THE MONTHLY PUBLIC MEETING OF THE
NEW KILLARNEY-RIVIERA ASSOCIATION
HELD AT THE MALL MANAGEMENT OFFICES (1ST FLOOR OFFICE TOWER)
ON WEDNESDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 17H00

PRESENT: Wayne Ford (Killarney Village); Raphael Ndlovu (Whitehall Court); Mike Kalk (Brenthurst Court); Deon Pelser (Brenthurst Court); Estelle Jacobs (Killarney Park); Julie Wilson (Killarney Hills); Vivian Cobbett (Biarritz); Dalien Rutenberg (Glenhof); Trish Terry (Gleneagles); Margaret Urban (Hanover Gate); Rochester Shen (Mentone Court); Captain Moonsamy (SAPS); Dean Dada (RCS Security); George Kymdell (NAMA); Ruth Kuper (Gleneagles); Clr Strike Rambani (Ward Councillor).

1. WELCOME
The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. APOLOGIES
Charles Whyte (Beverley Heights); Paulo Joaquim (Sevenoaks); Elena Joaquim (St Johns Wood); David Kramer (Chartwell); Hussein Dudhia (Hampshire Mews); Harry Rutenberg (Seven Oaks); Colonel Mahasha (SAPS); Jonathan Hooijer (Mediterranean).

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
• Captain Moonsamy presented the crime statistics – 1 shoplifting, 4 thefts of vehicles, 3 thefts out of vehicles. Vehicle-related crimes are thus once again on the rise.
• Captain Moonsamy is currently working shifts of 4 days on and 4 days off, so for the time being he cannot always be available in person. However he can still be contacted by email or SMS as before. His new email address is moonsamyravi6@gmail.com.
• The rumour of a rape incident cannot be verified, and therefore it probably never happened.
• The car washers who steal water by breaking municipal pipes and valves inside manholes, are a serious problem at many levels. The police and the councillor have committed to following this up with all the relevant departments.
• Negotiating with hawkers and car washers etc is a bad idea, as they can then claim to have been given “permission” by residents to conduct their illegal activities. Please be very careful that in your interactions with them you do not create the perception that their activities have now been “authorised”.
• Clr Rambani will arrange another meeting with the JMPD regional commander.
• The main focus of the new Mayor of Johannesburg is to stamp out corruption. If we can get photographic or video evidence of JMPD having their vehicles washed illegally by the street car-washers, we now have a much better chance that something might be done.
• The discussions between the Mall, the City and the taxi associations to build a proper taxi rank on Mall property, is advancing rapidly. However they still do not have any final agreements.
• The security project in 1st Street needs to be managed in three different sections. The problem outside Lhenveolan will probably solve itself in the next few months, as the tenants move out and the units are renovated. The problem outside Martindale Mews is being managed by RCS Security, and has been greatly reduced. Court action is being taken against the owner of Martindale Mews by the Council, to remove illegal shacks and to ensure that the by-laws are complied with in future. The problem at the taxi rank will be partly solved by the eventual relocation of the taxi rank, but the illegal hawkers and drug-peddlers will probably remain. Hopefully the police will be better able to address that problem, once the criminals are no longer able to hide among the innocent taxi passengers.
• If you call the SAPS patrol van and get no response, please call the Hillbrow Joint Operations Command Centre on 011 488 6712 or call 10111. For by-law and noise issues, please call the JMPD control centre on 011 378 1000, and ask for a reference number.

6. FEEDBACK FROM COUNCILLORS
• There will be a by-election on 5 April to elect a new ward councillor for ward 73. Please ensure that you are registered to vote.
• Meanwhile Clr Strike Rambani has been appointed to serve as the acting-councillor for our ward. You can contact him at strike@orchardsproject.org.za.
• Court action is being taken against the owner of Martindale Mews by the Council, to remove illegal shacks and to ensure that the by-laws are complied with in future.
• There is a Council project underway at present to create a separate “municipal court”, specifically to address cases of by-law infringements. This will speed up the corrective process, while avoiding clogging up the magistrates’ courts and delaying the processing of serious crimes. This project will however take time to implement.
• There is a project underway at present at the Council to expand the capacity of the building control and environmental management departments. However this project will also take time to implement.
• We continue to pursue action against the various fibre-optic companies to properly reinstate the pavements and streets that they dig up. Some work was done in the last few weeks, but more has been promised.
• Please 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, pavements or road signs in need of repair, potholes, streetlights not working, blocked storm-drains, or traffic lights out of order.
• We need to investigate installing unstealable covers over the gaping manholes on our pavements. This will be expensive, but the Council is moving very slowly on this. Meanwhile, please use the number 0860 562 874 to report all such cases – the more people who phone to complain, the higher the priority our cases will be given.

7. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
• Recycling is an easy way to make a big contribution to the environment. Paper and cardboard are collected weekly by the Mpact Orange-Bag project (011 538 8600 or http://mpact.co.za/). Apparently they also collect plastic now.
• If there is space on your pavement where an old tree has died, or if there is any sandy patch which could become a garden, please consider planting something there. Creating even a small simple patch of colour where once there was bare sand, makes a huge difference to the appearance of the location, and to the attitude people take toward littering etc. All shrubs and flowers are allowed, provided you don’t block the passage of pedestrians with prams or wheelchairs. However if you want to plant a tree on your pavement, then only indigenous trees are allowed. You also need to be careful that their roots won’t damage underground utilities, so please stick to planting in line with existing trees.
• The Lhenveolan building in 1st Street has started to repaint the exterior. We have been told that the project will probably be finished in about two more months, after which this building will again be an asset rather than an eyesore. The colour might not be to everyone’s personal taste, but it is much better than what it looked like before.
• Many of the pavements are in bad repair. We report this often, but repairs are conducted sporadically. We are allowed to repair our own pavements at our own cost, provided we do not obstruct access to water pipes, power cables, gas cables, telephone cables etc. When you fix a pavement, please be aware that somebody will undoubtedly dig another trench through your repaired area quite soon. The municipal utilities are all old and in bad shape, and repairs are required frequently.
• We will be repainting the street names on the kerbs over the next month or two. If you have a painter on your staff who is interested in earning some extra money, please do let us know.
• We continue to request donations of plants and shrubs for the park. In particular we are now asking for ivy, to cover the pavement in 2nd Ave outside the park where ivy has been remarkably difficult to grow from cuttings. If you are digging up ivy, please could you let us have any pieces with roots attached?
• We are also looking to expand the communal vegetable garden in the park. If anybody is interested in helping, please do join in. You are all welcome to harvest for your own use as the various plants ripen.
• It was suggested that we allow a pair of “rescue donkeys” to graze in the park. These are animals that have been rescued from abusive owners. However there are safety issues for the donkeys and the dogs and the children, as well as the risk that they may wander out into the street. Before we go any further, we need to hear how the community feels about the idea – particularly the buildings adjacent to the park.

10. FINANCE AND MEMBERSHIP
• There is nothing new to report here.
• The 2017 membership invoices will be sent out soon.
• Wayne and Charles will meet with Estelle at Nedbank to have her added as a bank signatory.

11. GENERAL
• The people who run our local Youth Group are making a short film in Killarney, using local youth as the actors. They need to film part of it in rooftop staff quarters. They are therefore asking for a suitable building to allow them access to the staff quarters area, both to a room and to the general passage areas. They are a very small operation, just five volunteers with one camera, and they will not be a disturbance like the professional film crews that take over entire streets. If your building is willing to accommodate this local project, please will you contact me urgently so that I can put you in touch?

The meeting was closed, with thanks to the Killarney Mall for the use of their boardroom.

Our next meeting will be held on
WEDNESDAY 15 March 2017 at 5pm

PLEASE PASS ON THESE MINUTES TO OTHER RESIDENTS IN YOUR BUILDINGS