MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF THE 21st NOVEMBER 2018

MINUTES FOR THE MONTHLY PUBLIC MEETING OF THE
NEW KILLARNEY-RIVIERA ASSOCIATION
HELD AT ROOM 223A OF THE MALL OFFICE TOWER
ON WEDNESDAY 21st NOVEMBER 2018 AT 17H00

PRESENT: Wayne Ford (Killarney Village); Julie Wilson (Killarney Hills); Vivienne Cobbett (Biarritz); Charles Whyte (Beverley Heights); Tony Mantle (Gleneagles); Ruth Kuper (Gleneagles); Dalien Rutenberg (Glenhof Gardens); Floh Thiele (La Camargue); Eleanor Huggett (Ward Councillor); George Kymdell (NAMA); Annica Marincowitz (Chartwell); Estelle Jacobs (Killarney Park); Kathy Steyl (Killarney Park); Sgt Mdlolo (SAPS); Adrienne Egbers (Cranwell Hall).

1. WELCOME
The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. APOLOGIES
Paulo Joaquim (Sevenoaks); Harry Rutenberg (Sevenoaks); Elena Joaquim (St John’s Wood); Dean Dada (RCS Security); Margaret Urban (Hanover Gate).

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 presented the crime statistics for the past four weeks, as follows: Armed robbery 2; Theft of vehicles 3; Theft out of vehicles 1.
• There was also a case of rape reported in Oxford Road, although exactly where in Oxford Road is unclear.
• The NKRA’s new high-resolution camera has been installed at Daventry Court in 1st Street. The resolution is remarkable, and the night vision is first-class. We look forward to getting some valuable evidence from this investment, to assist the police in solving crimes and the street drinking problem.
• Daventry Court will also be installing extra LED floodlights at their end of 1st Street, to support the cameras as well as to deter bad behaviour. The meeting agreed that the NKRA will assist buildings by procuring LED floodlights for their perimeters, provided the building pays for the installation and the electricity.
• The street parties in 1st Street have been much quieter over the past two weekends – perhaps partly due to police action and partly due to the weather.
• It was again reported that the illegal public drinking has expanded into 2nd Street as well, particularly between 2nd Avenue and Killarney Avenue. The SAPS were again asked to ensure that this area is thoroughly covered by their patrols.
• Sgt Mdlolo reported that the street drinkers have a look-out system, which gives them enough warning to be able to hide their alcohol before the police car is close enough to identify the bottles. An undercover operation is needed here, but these resources are scarce. Sgt Mdlolo will take this idea to the SAPS management on our behalf.
• There will be additional SAPS patrols in the Mall over the holiday weeks, to deter purse-snatching and the theft of cell-phones. Residents are reminded to keep close control of their possessions, and to not take out their cell-phones on the pavement if at all possible. Several people have been robbed of phones while standing on pavements waiting for an Uber.
• All members are reminded to take extra precautions with keeping windows closed and balconies secured, as the holiday season brings out the cat burglars.
• Sgt Mdlolo was asked to follow up on the sector patrol van, where the dedicated cell-phone is hardly ever answered. The camera will be at its most valuable if the guard on duty can call the SAPS van as soon as a problem is noted, so that the van can arrive within minutes and catch the perpetrators in progress.
• It was noted that most of the anti-social behaviour is not actually criminal, and therefore it must be addressed by JMPD rather than the SAPS. Clr Huggett was again asked to convey this need to the senior executives in the Council.
• Clr Huggett undertook to remind JMPD once again of the need for them to co-operate with the SAPS in managing this problem. She also undertook to invite the mayoral committee member for the security portfolio to attend our January meeting.
• Rand Realty, the managing agent of the Lhenveolan building, has been informed of the 1st Street party problem, that some of the drinkers live in Lhenveolan and that the street drinkers sometimes move their party into the Lhenveolan garage when the police come around. Rand Realty has promised to take action, and have asked to receive copies of the camera footage if their building is involved.
• 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
• Clr Huggett once again explained that all City departments are still struggling with lack of capacity and resources to attend to all issues. This problem will continue for many months to come, but issues are being solved as quickly as resources permit. Clr Huggett urged the community to keep on logging issues, as this is the only way that any action will happen.
• Clr Huggett was asked to ensure that JMPD focuses on enforcing the by-laws in Killarney-Riviera over the holiday period, especially in 1st Street. Wayne will submit a list of by-law issues once again, to be communicated up the ladder.

7. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
• The Family Day in the Park was held on Sunday 28 October, and was a great success. It was noted that people tend to only start arriving from 11:30am onwards, so next year we will start later and run longer. We must be packed up and cleared away by 6pm.
• We got a lot of compliments about how clean our suburb is, and how good most of the pavements are looking. It is a well-established fact that clean and attractive pavements will receive less litter and grime than untended pavements. Residents are asked to continue with sweeping pavements please, but also to address weeds if there are any, and perhaps to plant seeds on pavements wherever they have a bare patch of earth.
• The playground equipment in the park has been repainted, just in time for the holidays, and is looking magnificent.
• It was suggested that all buildings review their surroundings at night, and that they install additional LED floodlights of their own if they note the existence of dark areas near their perimeter. Crime flourishes in the darkness, and criminals will be less bold in brighter light – especially for building with cameras. It has already been agreed that the NKRA will assist buildings by procuring LED floodlights for their perimeters, provided the building pays for the installation and the electricity.
• Please report problems of potholes 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 was no change from the previous month.
• The invoices for the 2019 membership subscriptions will go out at the beginning of the year, around mid-January.

9. GENERAL
• The Centre Manager of the Killarney Mall has sent her Seasons’ Greetings to all residents.
• The chairman added his own Best Wishes as well.

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

Our next meeting will be held on
WEDNESDAY 9 JANUARY 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