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Muizenberg Improvement District

The Board meets on the first Tuesday of each month at our offices, 85 Main Road, Muizenberg and the public are invited to attend in the first half hour to raise or discuss any pertinent matters with the Directors.

The Establishment of the Muizenberg Improvement District

The process of setting up the Muizenberg Improvement was initiated by a group of concerned residents in April 2000. By December 2000, the situation in the village had deteriorated to such an extent with gangsters, crime and grime, that the committee took the risk of starting up the proposed business plan with security and management on the basis of donations in order to stem the tide of crime. The implementation of the Mountain Men security operation had an immediate and dramatic effect upon the criminal activities in the village. The legislative procedures of establishing the municipal or city improvement district were completed officially in November of 2001. During the interim period, the services of security and management were provided to the community free of charge and approximately R250 000 was raised by the committee to support the project. This included a start up grant from the council of R100 000.

The Structure of the MID

The model of the improvement district comes from the United States where some 1200 city improvement districts have been formed to combat inner city decay. The concept is simple but effective. An area is demarcated, a business plan and budget is proposed to the rate payers in this precinct and a majority vote of 51% establishes the project. The MID is legislated under council by-law. The owners in the MID are levied a special MID levy on the rates bill which is collected by council and paid over to the section 21 (non-profit company) which constitutes the vehicle for the MID. The MID therefore is a legal entity and complies with the by-law on Implementation of Improvement Districts under council and the South African Companies Act. The payment of levies in the precinct are also obligatory for the ratepayer. As with unpaid rates, the transfer on a property sale will not be given until the outstanding MID levies are paid up.

The MID Business Plan

The Muizenberg Improvement District is one of thirteen City Improvement Districts in the Cape Town area. Most of these CIDs share the core aim of ensuring top-up services to Council with regards to Safety and Security, and Cleanliness of the streets and environment. The major items to be funded on the MID budget remain the payment of security and street-cleaning services. The 2006/2007 budget of the MID is in the region of R569 000 (five hundred and sixty-nine thousand rand) of which R360 000 (three hundred and sixty thousand rand) will be spent on security provided by Mountain Men Security Services and R60 000 (sixty thousand rand) on street cleaning provided by street people employed through the Living Hope Community Centre. A sum of R15 000 (fifteen thousand rand) has been pledged for social development, a requirement of the CIDS by Council. Provision of R72 000 (seventy two thousand rand) has also been made in the MID budget for the employment of a full-time manager.

The budget is raised by approximately 8-10 % per annum to correspond with the annual cost of living increase applied to the rates by Council. The problem remains a percentage of non-payment by levy payers and Council thus retains a portion of monies to cover bad debt. We urge community members who are in arrears either with their rates or with their levies, to contact Council to come to some arrangement for payment. Payment of MID levies is of benefit to all.

MID Success

At least fifty new businesses have been drawn to Muizenberg since the inception of the MID, and there are a host of coffee shops, restaurants, speciality shops and businesses that draw custom to Muizenberg. Muizenberg has also become sought after as an area for property development. The upgrade has been embraced by most property owners and there have been extensive renovations throughout the MID area. At least sixty percent of properties have been renovated or improved in some manner. At least 45 “problem” buildings have been sorted out over the years, including slum buildings, and drug houses.

The Faircape development of the beachfront is going great guns and phase one of the development, which encompasses the old Empire building, is nearly complete. This phase will include a large residential component as well as a retail component.
The turn around in Muizenberg has been dramatic and sustained, but could not have been achieved had it not been for the co-operative efforts of all community organisations and so many individuals who have dedicated, and continue to dedicate, time, money and energy to working together to make this charming town the success it deserves to be.

Projects for 2007/ 2008

Contracts have been renewed with the Mountain Men Security Services as well as with Living Hope Community Centre. The MID Board will continue to monitor service levels and ensure the partnerships with the Mountain Men and Living Hope continue to be of benefit to all.

Tackling crime and grime remain the most important challenges for the MID, and the focus of the MID will remain on fostering a safer, cleaner environment.

The Subway linking Palmer Road and Church Road will have it's own crossing guard from October 2007 onwards during business hours. He will also be responsible for guarding vehicles parked behind the Checkers building which is reserved for the clients of Village traders. The area will be beautified and kept clean on a daily basis.

Street Cleaning services have been extended to streets on which buildings pay levies on the mountain side of the Main Road.

The MID would also like to look at greening and some landscaping, and this is dependent on budget.

Regular newsletters will be delivered and emailed to residents to ensure good communication. Please down load the latest newsletter to keep abreast of the work the MID is doing. The MIDs Forum is also a newly initiated website where residents can chat and share ideas online.

It is a requirement of the Companies Act that an AGM be held within nine months of the end of the financial year and as soon as a date has been finalised, the residents and members will be informed.

The MID remains focussed on, and dedicated to, a safer, cleaner Muizenberg.

(Association Incorporated under Section 21 of the Companies Act, 1973, No 2001/018176/08)

85 Main Road Muizenberg 7945 (opp. BP Service Station)
PO Box 138 Muizenberg 7950

Telephone/Fax: 021 788-1196
Mobile: 082 463 1525
email: info@mid.org.za

Karen Jordi (Manager)
Email here

Michael Romyn (Chairperson)
Email here

Sandy Crossley
Email here

Emil Rorke
Email here

Mark Robinson
Email here

Anthony Dietrich
Email here

Paul Ellis-Smith
Email here

Peter Wright
Email here

Downloads

Chairperson's Report

2009 AGM Agenda

New 5 year Business Plan (pending)

Latest Newsletter

Minutes of last Board meeting

Opinions expressed in newsletters are that of MID and not of www.muizenberg.info