Noordhoek Ratepayers Association AGM 2017 Date: Monday 27th March Venue: Monkey Valley Time: 18h30 – 20h00
The NRPA Chairman, Brad Bing welcomed the attendees and thanked everyone for making a concerted effort to attend……this being our second Noordhoek Ratepayers AGM.
- Feedback was presented on our achievements and financials for the period April 2016 to March 2017.
- BB reported that it has been another eventful year where the NRPA has solved many issues pertaining to the valley and yet there is always so much more that needs to be done both short and long term.
- The committee worked hard to serve the Noordhoek Community. BB outlined the meeting agenda:
- Rules of Engagement
- Chairman’s Report
- Watch a 2030 Project progress update presentation
- Vote for 2017 Subs
- Vote for EXCO 2017/2018
- Q & A session
- Announce the results of the vote
- Give thanks & Close the meeting After the meeting it was encouraged for the residents to chat to the 2030 project teams who were in attendance to promote their projects.
Rules of Engagement
BB requested that:
- We respect the feedback that will be presented by both the Chairman and Treasurer.
- Should anyone have a concern or query, that they ask this during our dedicated question and answer session.
- That the residents listen attentively to the Noordhoek 2030 vision presentation with an open mind and,
- That the residents listen to each other so that we can broaden our understanding of the issues and suggestions within our community.
Chairman’s Report
The achievements for 2016 are many.
- The NRPA is now up and running and is being well managed.
- Membership grew from 180 ratepayers in 2016 to 250 members of which 140 are paid up.
- Meetings are held monthly with minutes posted on our webpage.
- We have sound fiscal policies and we are building a base from which to eventually look at employing a permanent paid admin support person.
- Communication is good via direct mail to members and prudent use of social media.
Communication
BB started talking about achievements in our Communication Portfolio.
- This portfolio was led by Lynn Brown, ably assisted by Stephen Cruikshank, Patrick Wright & Kathleen Thompson
- Activities included doing 2030 Report Backs to key interest groups including Our Food & Beverage sector, Noordhoek Tourism & other tourism linked people, Estate Agents working in Noordhoek and The Common Committee
- Another key focus was implementation of 2030 Projects, some being initiated by the NRPA and others gaining traction of their own accord with varying levels of NRPA involvement.
- Regular Monthly Newsletters were written and communicated on various forums, including directly to our membership and on social media
- Ad-hoc communication was done as required
- We have written up first drafts of EXCO – Roles & Responsibilities to ensure smooth handover to new EXCO members
Civic
- Robin Stott, the Civic portfolio leader, has been involved with the NRPA for 3 years. He is assisted by Peter Ray
- Graffiti & Illegal signage removal has taken place on a regular basis
- A team of Green Wardens, managed by Robin, has been hard at work tackling invasive species on all City land in and around Noordhoek
- Mediation of conflict between residents and city relating to water, rates, sewerage
- Transport….attended meetings and followed up on projects involving transport related issues in our area (Houmoed Road and The South Peninsula Traffic Study)
General
- Jenny Shaw added value to the General Portfolio.
- Jenny attended all the quarterly Far South Peninsula Community Forum Meetings and assisted with the organisation of the “Gatvol” meeting.
- Jenny attended the Integrated Development Plan meeting, giving input to this process, which reviews and decides on budget & expenditure for our municipality.
- Jenny has been elected to the Ward 19 Sub-Committee, where she now represents all Far South Civics in one of 2 Civic slots on this body.
- She assisted Noordhoek residents with rates objections and with
- The MTN Cell mast application meeting and related work.
- She has been involved in the proposed Houmoed Rd public participation process, attending meetings on our behalf.
- She assisted the Noordhoek families affected by City land for sale in Noordhoek.
Planning & Land Use
- Marike Colyn led the Planning and Land Use Portfolio assisted by Jenny Shaw.
- Marike regularly attends the Environmental Liaison Meetings for both malls and the Sub-Council 19 meetings, when there are issues on the agenda pertaining to Noordhoek.
- This portfolio requires a great deal of reading, to develop knowledge of Planning Laws, Land Use Rights, Building Regulations and Policies.
- Special events applications all come through this portfolio where Marike checks that the application complies with City regulations, including notification of neighbours.
- Providing advice is a key element of the portfolio specifically in areas of Appeals process for rates valuations, Primary, Secondary and Consent Use rights and Dispute resolution in land use issues between neighbours.
- The NRPA believes in engagement and has met with the new owners of the Cnr Noordhoek Main and Silvermine Rd to discuss what our community is about to try to influence the decisions they make.
- All planning applications are co-ordinated by this portfolio, including Departures from building regulations and the MTN cell Mast Application. Our focus is on ensuring that public participation processes, as defined by law, are followed and that City Policy is accurately applied to decision making.
- The NRPA is not an enforcement agent but tries to ensure compliance via consultation, engagement and reporting to the relevant authorities if this becomes necessary. The restaurant being built on the corner of Avondrust Circle and Noordhoek Main Road is a good example of how we have implemented this protocol this year.
Treasurer
- Rob Speedy has led this portfolio for the last two years.
- Our membership has grown steadily. In 2016 we had 180 members. As at February 2017 we have 250 members, with 140 of these having paid subs by March.
- A self-service database accessible from our website was set up this year, making electronic membership applications a reality and allowing for easy updating of members’ details. Note that your “paid up” status will reset after tonight’s AGM.
- We received a number of donations – Thank you! R 12 000 donations received from members. R 7 000 received from the Farm Village.
- No specific project funding was undertaken this year.
Income statement for the year ended 28 February 2017
Income 33 156 Donations 11 800 Events 7 000 Interest received 356 Membership fees 14 000 Sponsorship Expenditure 6 156 Bank charges 158 Special Projects (contribu&on to KRRA legal ac&on) 5 000 Marke&ng & Publicity (over accrual in 2016) -305 Sta&onery & Prin&ng 453 Subscrip&ons (FSPCF & Snapscan) 850 Surplus 27 000