THANK YOU to all who continue to contribute funds, support, positive inputs, and workable solutions. With this letter I appeal to all to sign up as active members to the Ratepayer’s Association. R100 per person per year.
Firstly, for those new to the BBRA or to our newsletter:
WELCOME to those who are new to Betty’s Bay and the BBRA. This is a platform where you may engage with your volunteer leadership in the BBRA and find a platform for you to exercise your passion in the service of this community. Our meetings take place every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 17:00 at the Crassula Hall. We have created a slot for you prior to our committee meetings. Spread the word and join the TEAM.
BANK DETAILS
Account Name: Betty’s Bay Ratepayers Association
Branch: ABSA Hermanus
Account type: Cheque
Account Number: 4066616439
Our Ref: Your Surname & Erf Number or your erf number and your course (BBNW, BEST etc)
THE TEAM
Meet the Exco.
Rob Boyd Vice Chairman BEST and Engineering
Adrian De Kock Treasurer Finance and Membership
Karon Scholefield Secretary Administration and Property development
Wayne Jackson Chairman Oversight, Direction, Development, and Safety & Security
Portfolios: The portfolios are independent interest groups under the Ratepayers’ umbrella. The portfolios form part of the committee and have meetings every 2nd Wednesday of the month after public engagement.
Portfolios
Betty’s Bay Volunteer Fire and Rescue Team Jorika Rabie
Betty’s Bay Emergency Support Team Rob Boyd
Betty’s Bay Neighbourhood Watch System Wayne Jackson
Engineering Amund Beneke
Property Development Karon Scholefield
Social Development Cheryl Gleeson
Conservation Liezel Bohdanowicz
Business and Events Laura Brown
Social media Wendy Lucas
Newsletters Vivienne von der Heyden
Crassula Hall Claudele Jackson
DEBATES: Every month there will be a public debate on a matter of importance to Betty’s Bay. Please join these debates. Keep in mind that our debates are not spaces to vent, but rather where we find solutions and engage with new ideas and concepts for Betty’s Bay. Debates take place every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 18:00 at the Crassula Hall. You may also email your thoughts to me on the day. The debates have not been attended by many and the emailed inputs have been a great help. The feedback from you has been positive. Our volunteers will continue to engage on matters important to Betty’s Bay. We do acknowledge that some of the content is contentious and sensitive, but these matters must be dealt with whether they are favourable to us or not.
To date we have debated:
- Power outages
- Party houses
- Spaces for dogs to run off leashes
- Domestic animals
- Contractors
- Home security
The outcome of these debates have been emailed to all. The last debate was about home security and all the ins and outs about that. Back copies are available.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Every ratepayer and resident is a passive member of our Neighbourhood Watch. You are our eyes and ears and camera monitors.
We have active members. These are the persons that man the radios, monitor cameras and respond to issues.
We have an active partnership with the four security companies and together much is done during any given night. We have a good radio network and an expanding camera network. We have the WATCH cell phone groups to keep you as informed as possible and for you to report crime, suspicious activity and to call for help when needed.
We do need a representative for Bass Lake and Jock’s Bay.
We need some young blood to take over the reins of the Neighbourhood Watch. If you think you are up to it, please contact me on 082 928 1260.
We thank Leigh de Jongh and Engel & Vőlkers for sponsoring our new car magnets.
OM EMERGENCY NUMBERS: Saving Overstrand Municipality’s emergency service numbers on your phone, means you are prepared for any situation.
028 312 2400 fire, flood, or medical emergency
028 313 8980 security and safety and disaster management issues
028 313 8996 law enforcement day-to-day complaints
072 028 0008 Baboon hotline
028 313 8000 for general enquiries / accounts
028 313 8111 emergencies relating to basic services / municipal infrastructure.
For Eskom we use ‘Alfred’. Once you have a reference number we can follow up with our friends at Eskom.
For Telkom we use their Facebook page to communicate. We also have friends for infrastructure.
Marie Le Roux has also instituted two WhatsApp groups with emergency numbers and a whole host of numbers of services that we are constantly seeking on the groups.
BBRA GROUPS
We have 3 official groups for each zone: the Watch groups, the Community groups, the R44 WhatsApp groups.
Please, do not offload your frustrations here or bad mouth the organisations that are trying to support you. This sort of thing does not help me in the least and it is so disheartening to think that we have some very
nasty people living amongst us. Give me possible solutions to the problems you, and we all, are trying to deal with. This I can work with. May I also thank you for the great suggestions that have been communicated to me. Look at the portfolios in the BBRA and see where you think your skill set will be best utilised and offer your help. This is all voluntary and if it takes volunteers to sort out Betty’s Bay problems then let’s be up for it.
PREPAID METERS
The upgrading of our electricity meters will start in our area from about 2 November 2023. In effect we will be upgrading from one software version to another – from version 1 to version 2. At some point soon, when you buy your electricity the number will be published on that same slip as your purchase code. The entire project will start on 1 July 2023 and must be completed by 30 November 2024. This gives us ample time to have the change done in our holiday homes. Eskom have adopted the process of doing the smaller towns and villages first as it will be easier to sort out teething problems. The first roll out will be in Macassar and we are not too far behind them as we too are relatively small. There will also be media releases to this effect, and all will be on the Eskom web page.
And now for the most recent feedback:
CAMERAS
Please support this initiative as we are noticeably moving crime and by-law offenders away from the camera areas.
NPC (NON-PROFIT COMPANY)
At this point it seems Betty’s Bay is not ready to commit to or invest in the well-being of Betty’s Bay. It might take some more time and struggle before we realise that we need to do more for ourselves.
WHAT A MESS
My walks around the streets and pathways of Betty’s Bay have been spoilt by the ugly sight of bottles and papers on the curbs and dog poo on all the pathways. This is horrible, fellow ratepayers. I know there are many that pick up their dog poo and pick up other people’s rubbish on the side of the roads but not only visitors and builders mess here, there are a few residents that just don’t care. Please let’s work on a clean and dog-poo-free area for us all to enjoy.
WHAT’S OUR 2024 STRATEGY
Recently we embarked on our 2024 strategy with the following acknowledgement: we will consolidate our good working relationships with various important role players – SAPS, OM (Overstrand Municipality), Eskom, Telkom, Cape Nature, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Business, Pringle Bay Community and Kleinmond Community to mention a few. We will endeavour to involve more and more ratepayers and residents but downscale the committee portfolios with more and larger sub-committees. This implies that the portfolios that are not included in the new TEAM make-up will become sub-committees of a principal portfolio. This is to allow for better on-the-ground interaction and a sleeker committee, without losing any impetus.
BABOONS
The OM baboon monitoring strategy has kicked off here with good results being reported. Please be of assistance to these monitors. Everyone is going through this learning curve together. Ultimately the baboon monitors inform us about baboon whereabouts, and we ensure our property is secured. We are responsible for baboons on our property, not the monitors, although in most cases the monitors will help us. We must stop saying ‘there were two monitors, and they did nothing’. The question is: what are we doing?
CAPE NATURE
Cape Nature are in the process of becoming more community based in certain areas of their mandate in which we will be part, going forward. Our first meeting was held on 17 August 23 to discuss a strategy and to understand the details of the partnership.
THE BBRA NEWSLETTER
I would like to see our local business community benefit from this newsletter in terms of advertising and promoting their businesses. Ratepayers and residents may also apply for certain articles to be mentioned in our newsletter. The latter will be discussed and approved by the Exco and Vivienne.
Your business card size advert will cost R1000 per year to be placed in the newsletter each month and on our website; https://www.bettysbayratepayers.co.za.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (IT SUPPORT)
The community of Mooiuitsig has access to laptops and Wi-Fi to do research, online learnerships and send out CVs – to name a few things. Once again, we thank Zaan for making her school available for this privilege. Our attempts to secure the municipal library unfortunately never materialized.
We are also in talks with Child Welfare to have the same or similar computer space made available in Kleinmond.
ESKOM
Always check with your neighbours if their power is also out.
If it is out, then please report as MULTIPLE HOUSEHOLDS on ‘Alfred’. Otherwise, Eskom will treat the fault as a single household, which means they will not prioritize the fault.
ENGINEERING
We welcome Amund Beneke (a town planner by profession) who will be taking over from Rob Boyd who in turn will focus his energy on BEST. For all faults, please log a call, get a reference number and the fault will be seen to in due course. Working hours 028 313 8111 and after hours 028 271 8435
CRASSULA HALL
We are still looking for some sort of entrance furniture to place in the hall. For those who use the hall, please pack the chairs away in the alley from the toilet side and not in front of the storeroom door. We also had the roof painted with a special rubber sealant. It looks much better than ever before.
MARKET PLACE
The markets will start in September and the contact person is Shameez Joubert on 073 199 0896.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Thank you to Tyl Willems and his amazing daughter, Mieke Thilo for arranging a team of residents to fix the Bass Lake bridge. The bridge was totally displaced by the excessive water flowing from the lake during the last storms we had here in Betty’s Bay.
Mieke set the ball rolling by putting it out there via a social media platform and before too long the repair team was assembled. Thank you once again and thank you for proving to us all what can be achieved by this community. The positive attitudes and we-can-do-it approach goes a long way in building a community of substance. This was done in the best spirit possible for all to enjoy, so the next time we walk over this bridge we know the story attached to it.
LIVING ON THE EDGE
Don’t forget to include your edges and pavements in your gardening plan.
Kind regards, Wayne Jackson. Chairperson