MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF THE 20th MARCH 2024

MINUTES FOR THE MONTHLY PUBLIC MEETING OF THE

NEW KILLARNEY-RIVIERA ASSOCIATION

HELD VIRTUALLY OVER THE INTERNET

ON WEDNESDAY 20 MARCH 2024 at 18H30

PRESENT:     Wayne Ford (Killarney Village); Charles Whyte (Beverley Heights); Floh Thiele (La Carmague); Emma Matlhaga (Killarney Hills).

1. WELCOME

• Wayne opened the meeting, and welcomed the attendees.

2.  APOLOGIES RECEIVED

• Councillor Eleanor Huggett.

3. DISCUSSION OF TIME CONSTRAINT

• We will try to keep the meeting to one hour if possible.

4. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES, AND MATTERS ARISING

• The minutes of the previous meeting have been circulated to all attendees, and have been approved by them. The details thereof were incorporated into the monthly newsletter.

5.  STATUS OF OUR SUBURB, AND LIST OF ISSUES REQUIRING ACTION

• The squatter problem on the motorway embankments is still problematic. We continue to request that residents take photographs where possible, and then report these cases to the JMPD. The police cannot normally remove these squatters because the municipal homeless shelters are full, but space does become available in shelters from time to time, so please keep on reporting these issues regularly.
• The safety issues in Oxford Road, including interventions from untrained people directing traffic during load-shedding, has been reported several times This issue will now also be reported to Marcelle Ravid, a former ward councillor who now apparently works with the Saxonwold residents. In addition we will approach the Outsurance company to ask if they can perhaps assist us with their highly-trained traffic directors.
• There is an on-going risk of cell-phone snatching on pavements. Floh speaks to the CPF officers regularly, and makes them aware of our problems. The police do have cars roving in the area, but more action is needed to remove this problem. Vision Tactical Security has cars in the area in support of their various clients, and RCS Security has their patrolling tuk-tuk as well, both of whom help to increase the visible security deterrent.
• The problem of the illegal hawkers is getting worse, especially in Killarney Avenue opposite the Mall. We constantly lobby the JMPD, the SAPS and the CPF to act against these law-breakers, some of whom we suspect are selling drugs.
• The illegal taxi rank is at the heart of this problem. Latest feedback from the Killarney Mall is that their refurbishment project is still in the planning stage, but that a taxi rank solution is still in their plans.
• It was mentioned that a better plan is needed to accommodate all the delivery scooters, and for the cars (and Ubers) who drop-off and collect passengers outside the Clicks entrance.
• Street and pavement repairs – we do not yet have enough money to do another pavement and pothole repair project, but hopefully the 2024 membership subscriptions will give us enough funding to do this again. In the meanwhile, Charles will compile and update a register of outstanding issues which require attention. Residents will be requested to send to Charles their concerns, and their reference numbers. The Discovery Pothole Patrol are back, and we will contact them with our lists as well. In the meanwhile, part of the problem is that the holes are caused by municipal repair teams, and the area has not yet been resurfaced because the fix is not yet fully completed. In such cases we will attempt to fill the holes with stones, to improve safety while we wait.
• The missing manhole covers continue to pose a huge problem, which is difficult to fix.
• The NKRA has tried to prune some of the worst of the dead trees, to improve safety, but we need the municipality to sort this out properly. It has been suggested that we should run another clean-up project on the pavement in 7^th Street, and that we can perhaps ask the Vision Tactical Green Team for help. If anybody in 7^th Street uses Vision Tactical, please would you contact them in this regard?
• We have created a WhatsApp group for Ward 67, which includes the Ward 67 councillor David Medupi. The 7^th Street challenges have been shared with him already.
• The Killarney Mall will be holding a community event in the park this weekend, based around an Easter egg hunt.

• NEW ISSUES
• We need to purchase a new set of stencils, so that we can repaint the street names on the kerb stones. Charles will get some prices.
• There has been a complaint about the Ubers in 3^rd Street, which sometimes sit there all day and do not seem to drive around doing business. Residents in the area will be asked to help monitor this issue.
• The NKRA Membership invoices will be sent out shortly.
• Our annual NKRA website hosting fee is due, for R940 – payment was approved.

The meeting was closed at 19h26, with thanks to all who participated.

Our next meeting will be held virtually on

WEDNESDAY 17 APRIL 2024 AT 18H30

PLEASE PASS ON THESE MINUTES TO OTHER RESIDENTS IN YOUR BUILDINGS

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

JMPD call centre hotline number – 080 872 3342

JMPD Control Room – 011 758 9620

JMPD number to report Homeless People camping in the vicinity – 011 490 1538

JMPD number to report Illegal Dumping – 011 490 1684

JMPD number to report Noise Pollution – 011 718 9684

JMPD number to report Illegal Advertising – 011 490 1547

JMPD number to report Illegal Trading – 011 490 1744

JMPD number to report other By-Law issues – 011 490 1684