COUNCILLOR RICK CROUCH'S WARD 10 BRIEFING

PROPERTY RATES AMENDMENT BILL
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Local Government has issued the Property Rates Amendment Bill for public comment. Within this bill they are proposing to change the definition of a "residential property" to that of which a residential property is that which the primary use or permitted use is for residential purposes excluding such property used to accommodate persons other than the owner for gain. In other words if you have a rental property you will be paying commercial rates on that property.

They are also looking to extend the period of valuations from 5 years to 7 years, so when the property market crashes, as it will if this bill is enacted, you will be paying rates on the higher value of your property.

This is a national bill so it will affect property owners and renters from coast to coast. So please forward this information to everyone you know anywhere in the country and please send your objections. The closing date for objections is 22 July 2011. [view the amendment bill here]

THANK YOU
I would like to thank the Trollope family in Kloof for their generous donations to the Gillitts Primary School of books and an overhead projector. If you have any items you would like to donate please contact me or the school principal Arti Jadoo by email at artijadoo@ymail.com or 031 767 3690.

• KLOOF RESTHOME ABANDONS BID FOR CIVIC CENTRE BUILDING
  KLOOF Rest Home Association had hoped to purchase the old municipal building in Kloof to extend its care to the community, but has had to retract from doing so due to the financial risks involved. [more]

• HIGHWAY SCAM ARTIST - MARC DU PLOOY
  Marc Du Plooy was released on R20,000 bail on Monday 11 July 2011. As part of his bail conditions he has to report to Hillcrest Police Station on days determined by the court. The investigators are still looking for victims of this scammer. If you have been a victim please open a case against him at the Hillcrest Police Station. [article & picture]
  

• HOW TO REPORT ISSUES IN THE WARD
  When you report issues to the various municipal departments please copy me on any correspondence as it makes it easier for me to follow up on your behalf. I have compiled a list of most often used municipal contacts, if you have not received a response or any action from the Municipality within 5-10 days please use my issue follow-up form on this website, include as much detail as possible. [municipal contacts] [issue follow-up] [current status of issues]
  

• REQUIREMENTS FOR A HOME BUSINESS
  For your home business to be legal it can not occupy more than 30% of the residence. You need to make an application and because this now falls under the category of Special Consent you will have to pay the non-refundable fee of R8,423.00. If your home business is not legal the Municipality will impose a penalty by increasing your rates by 4 times, which are the rates for "illegal use". Please contact me if you need assistance with your home business.
  

• ILLEGAL BUSINESSES
  There appears to be an influx of illegal businesses popping up in both business and residential areas. If you know of, or suspect, an illegal business please let me know by using the feedback form on this website. [feedback form]
  

• BLANKET / CLOTHES DONATIONS
  With the cold weather approaching I am still collecting blankets and warm clothes for the poor in our Ward to help them keep warm this winter. If you have any gently used clothes / blankets, or would like to donate a new ones, please let me know so that I can collect them.
  

• NEW BUSINESSES IN WARD 10
  I try to encourage the residents of Ward 10 to shop and do business within the borders of our ward, and by doing so we can help our neighbors who have businesses here and support any new business. If you have a newly opened business in Ward 10 or know of one please email me the details of the business with contact information, website and a photo. I will profile one or two in every newsletter.

• COUNCIL MEETING
  The next meeting of the full council is on 27th July 2011 at 10:00am @ the Durban City Hall. If you are at all interested in the running of the city I urge you to attend if you can [council schedule]

• 48 KLOOFLANDS ROAD, KLOOF
  Establish a creche and after-care facility limited to 30 children
  Published in Mercury 1 July 2011

• 15 ALEXANDER AVENUE, KLOOF
  Establish a Bed & Breakfast limited to 4 bedrooms
  Published Mercury 1 July 2011

• HILLCREST COMUNITY POLICE FORUM (CPF)
  The Hillcrest CPF will be holding its monthly meeting on 27th July 2011 at the Hillcrest Library Activities Room on Delamore Road in Hillcrest @ 18:00. This is a very important non-profit organization that is very poorly supported by the community. The Hillcrest CPF covers; Hillcrest, Waterfall, Gillitts, Winston Park and Botha's Hill Stockville. The CPF meets on the last Wednesday of every month at the above venue. Call the CPF Chair Monica @ (084) 882-0691 or email mb4711@absamail.co.za

• CENTRAL OUTERWEST RATEPAYERS & RESIDENTS ASSN.
  COWRA will be holding their monthly meeting at 19:00 on 25th July 2011 at the Gillitts Community Hall on Old Main Road in Gillitts (next to fire station) . COWRA serve the areas of Kloof, Gillitts, St. Helier, Everton, Forest Hills, Stockville and Winston Park. For more information contact Alan Smaldon @ (072) 130-9135 or email asmaldon@chillibyte.com

• FRIEND'S OF THE KLOOF LIBRARY
  This is a group of dedicated individuals that raise funds and take care of the Kloof library. They can always use more members and of course donations to their cause are always welcome. They meet on the last Wednesday of every month at the Kloof Library @ 17:30 (5:30pm)
  
  
• GILLITTS PARK STREET WATCH AGM
  Please if you are willing and able to assist in driving the goals of GPCA in your street or Cell, come and join up at the AGM. Not a lot of work if everyone does a little bit!!!!! All nominations for the core committee need to be in before the meeting please so we can do this thing without too much fuss and waste of your time. The AGM is being held at the Shirley Road Church in Gillitts @ 6pm on 28 July 2011. For more information please call Jill Clark @(082) 889-8877 or by email @ jhclark@iafrica.com
  
  

• COUNCILLOR COFFEE
  This is basically a small gathering of friends and / or neighbors (5 - 20 people) at a house in the neighborhood. It can take many forms; a coffee, a pizza and beer, a braai, any format that suits you. It gives a small group of people who know each other intimate access to the councillor. If anyone would like to host and organize one please let me know.

[more local activities]

• DEVELOPMENT CHARGES DRAFT POLICY
  The Development Charges Draft Policy was approved in the Finance & Procurement Committee today (19/07/2011). The Draft Policy will now go back to caucuses for discussion.

• SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
  The Democratic Alliance requested that there be a complete review on both the Supply Chain Management Policy and the management and implementation of that policy.

• LOAN OF 100,000,000 EURO
  This item was deferred with instructions to get a report from National Government regarding their position on this loan.

• POINT DEVELOPMENT
  This was in regard to the lease of the Sea-Bed and Sea-Shore from Transnet (Vetches Beach) for the Point Development / Marina project. After much debate this item was deferred.
  

• 2nd Quarter 2010

• Citizen of the Year
• Honorary California Chairman
• 2008 Best of La MIrada Award
• International Fugitive Captured
• Child Molester Captured in Israel
• Wrongly Accused Released
• Rates base must be increased says councillor - 29/10/2010
• RDP houses back on track - 05/11/2010
• DA branch launch - 19/11/2010
• No tidal pool but maybe a beach - 24/12/2010
• Durban port woes - 24/12/2010
• Tolls are a disguised tax - 10/01/2011
• Rates reduction unlikely - 07/02/2011
• Bruising ordeal at the hand of cops - 11/02/2011
• Woman's home not her castle - 11/02/2011
• Battered and left to die - 17/02/2011
• Durban ratepayers face rates increase - 28/02/2011
• Home business tariffs, `strangling job creation’ - 04/03/2011
• DA strategy meeting - 04/03/2011
• Electrical cable repair turns out to be cable theft - 17/05/2011
• Gillitts Primary School needs books - 31/05/2011
• Crouch urges people to get involved - 01/06/2011
• Councillor ready to tackle problems hands-on - 06/06/2011
• Rates amendment bill has dire consequences, warns Crouch - 12/07/2011
• Golden Goose in intensive care -15/07/2011
• Civic bodies mobilize in face of proposed amendments to rates bill - 18/07/2011
• Government backs down on Property Rates Bill - 19/07/2011

• eThekwini rates policy fleeces the elderly - 20/02/2011
• City manager agrees with the DA - 24/02/2011
• DA slams proposed tariffs - 04/03/2011
• ANC does not understand job creation - 09/03/2011
• Pensioner rates policy no victory - 22/03/2011
• DA applauds the lowering of tariffs - 08/04/2011
• Property Rates Amendment Bill spells disaster - 12/07/2011
• Property Rates Bill assurances not good enough - 19/07/2011

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