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AGM save the date & spring greening Somerset West

New planter boxes alongside Helderberg Village Centre

This October, we hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM 2023) to review the year’s activities and begin our planning for 2024/25. We hope all our members can attend. Non-members still have time to register. The new City of Cape Town CID by-law and policy came into effect on 1 July and that is available to view online.

The recent bout of storms and cold fronts experienced in the Cape have certainly added to the work of the CIDs, in particular in the way of road maintenance and fallen trees. We’d like to remind you at this time to assist us in providing effective service by logging a service request for any faults encountered.

Lastly, our CID has undertaken several urban beautification projects this Spring, adding greenery and cleaning up public areas of Somerset West. And, we have an update on the Public Transport Interchange (PTI) due for completion next year.

Read more below.

Our AGM 2023 is coming up

All stakeholders are invited to a review of the year’s activities and planning for 2024/25.

Resolutions presented at the AGM can only be voted for by bonafide members. All non-members wishing to take part must be registered before 9 October.

View all AGM documents here.

AGM Details

Wednesday, 18 October 2023, 15:00

The Farm House Coffee Shop Restaurant, The Trading Post Centre, 53 Caledon Street, Corner of Caledon and Myburgh Street, Somerset West.

RSVP to info@swcid.co.za

New CID By-law Policy

The new CID by-law policy came into effect from 1 July, which serves “To provide for the establishment of City Improvement Districts; to provide for additional rates; and to provide for matters incidental thereto.”

The City of Cape Town’s by-law and policy regarding the establishment and management of City Improvement Districts has gone through several iterations over the years since the concept of a CID was first tested in the year 2000.

The latest revisions of the by-law and policy comes as more than 50 CIDs are now in operation.

The by-law is available to download online here at openbylaws.org.za.

New planters for Somerset West CID

Spring greening Somerset West

A project that has been jointly provided by the Helderberg Village Centre, the Somerset West CID has made new planter boxes that are situated in Drama Street between Main Road and Caledon Street, paid for by the Helderberg Village Centre.

The planter boxes, which have been planted with greenery and installed by the CID, serve multiple purposes – the primary one being to beautify the area, adding greenery and life to a dull side road. Secondarily, the wide sidewalks have often in the past been used for illegal parking, blocking the accessibility of pedestrians and creating the opportunity for vagrants to urinate on the sidewalks next to the public shopping centre.

Turning a negative situation into an opportunity to create a more aesthetically pleasing environment for the public, the planter boxes prevent people from parking on the sidewalk and the antisocial behaviour around this.

The Somerset West CID are the custodians of the planter boxes and regularly water and maintain the plants.

Update on the public transport interchange (PTI) construction

Nearing completion in Q1 2024, the Public Transport Interchange (PTI) construction is well underway. The contractor has shared an update, stating that the completion date is still 18 March 2024, in spite of challenges faced including inclement weather and the taxi strike. The construction company has employed 15 local workers, including client liaison officer. The contractor would like to thank the community for working with us.

Logging a service request with the City

You too can assist with urban management and the growing number of faults and service requests that the City and our CID deal with on a daily basis. By reporting water and electricity faults and other maintenance requirements such as potholes, missing road signs or blocked stormwater drains, through the correct channels, we and the City are able to attend to these service requests and log their status in an effective way.

There are multiple channels through which you can do this – the easiest being the online portal at capetown.gov.za/servicerequests, which is also now available in the City of Cape Town mobile app.

View all the steps to log a service request on the flyers below.

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Improved communication is paying off, says SW CID Chairperson

In a message delivered at the AGM of the Somerset West City Improvement District by board chairperson Ms Michelle Theron, she said the CID had started operations in Somerset West on the 1st September 2015.

“I have worked in Somerset West CBD for 12 years and have been privy to the steady decline over the years of our town and the positive changes over the last two years. We have seen some remarkable improvements in town since the inception.”

She said the best of these were a complete absence of Abortion/ Enlargement and other pamphlets stuck to infrastructure and then also this year the painting and upgrading of said infrastructure.

SW1

“We also have an improvement in communication between parties and service providers in town which has led directly and indirectly to initiatives in our community.” She pointed out that the latest of these was the Night Shelter that was now supplying cleaning staff directly to ClD. The cleaners receive a small stipend, which gives them some hope for their future.

“Our security initiative is visible and has been a huge help in attracting attention to the plight of our town and that of commuters and shoppers.” Ms Theron said there was much more happening at ground level than the reported arrests being made. The security staff was visible, they offered a deterrence to crimes, they were on hand and could act as the eyes and ears of our town, they knew the repeat offenders and as such had great insight into what was happening in town.

They strengthen the ranks of the SAPS in police operations and are also the initiators and supporters of these operations. Ms Theron said they were “an easy phone call away and responded within minutes”.

She went on to say that in this regard the amount of hidden weapons/trolleys/ fake security bibs that were being removed from our town had had a lasting impact which could not be measured, “as our town is growing, the steady stream of people moving into Somerset West is never ending, our town is exploding and thus I cannot imagine that crime statistics will tell a true tale”.

She said sitting in the centre of town day after day, and knowing that one can now walk around in a clean centre, that the armed robberies of the past had all but ended, that there were expert eyes watching and were on call if help was needed, was “truly priceless”.

I think we have a lot more to do, but the CID has provided the communications the facts and the vision and mission for our town and if we carry on the path as set out our town and the people in it will be enabled to make it great again.

 

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