COUNCILLOR RICK CROUCH'S WARD 10 BRIEFING

NEW TOWN PLANNING APPEALS PROCESS
Ratepayers are hereby notified that as of 1 October 2011, a process change for the lodging of Town Planning Appeals in eThekwini Municipality will take effect.

Currently the Municipal Systems Act, (Act 32 of 2000) allows an applicant a right of appeal in terms of Section 62(1).?  Objectors may not lodge a planning appeal in terms of this legislation but rather have appeal rights.

Applicants are to note that the lodging of an appeal attracts a tariff of R 1102.00 non refundable and payable on lodging of the appeal. In the event that the appeal is not paid for, it is not deemed to be formerly lodged. [view the full document here]

2011 CENSUS
A population census is a snapshot of a country at a particular moment in time. South Africa’s census will be held in October this year. Census night is the 9th of October 2011. Some people have said they are not going to participate or they are going to lie. Please don't do that because this is how the government determines how much money and services like police officers we get.

The census takers can be identified by their yellow (enumerators) or green overshirts (supervisors), yellow satchels and yellow caps. They will also all be carrying Stats SA ID cards

QUESTIONS TO COUNCIL
I asked these questions of the Revenue Department in the previous sitting of council. [questions to council]

• APPROVED REZONING OF PROPERTIES IN WARD 10
  a) 44 Old Main Road Kloof - from Intermediate Residential 1 to Transitional Office
  b) Portion 131 of farm Langefontein No 980 from Rural Residential 1 to Educational
  c)1 Leinster Place Gillitts from Special Residential 1800 to Educational
  

• DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
  The city manager wants the municipality to pay the court and attorney fees for any municipal official who thinks he / she has been defamed by a ratepayer, media etc. So if you or I say something about an official in the media they can sue us and the media, and we as ratepayers will pay for it. The city manager withdrew this item from the council agenda at the last minute. We will have to see where they go with this from here.

• TARIFF TABLES 2011 /2012
  For those interested this document contains the municipal tariffs for 2011 / 2012 [tariff tables]

• RELAXATION OF BUILDING LINES
  Over the past few months, rate payers in the city have experienced challenges in building plan approval where buildings have been proposed on or in close proximity to cadastral boundaries. [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. According to Hillcrest SAPS the case has been transferred to Durban [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.
  
  We have been successful in having at least 2 illegal businesses penalized by having their rates quadrupled [feedback form]
  

• 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 31st October 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]

• 4A OLD MAIN ROAD, KLOOF
  Rezoning from Special Residential 1800 to Transitional Office
  Published in Ilanga - 15 September 2011
  Published in Mercury - 16 September 2011

• 10 VICTORY ROAD, KLOOF
  Rezoning from Special Residential 1800 to Transitional Office
  Published in Ilanga - 15 September 2011
  Published in Mercury - 16 September 2011
  
  
• 2 VICTORY ROAD, KLOOF
  Rezoning from Special Residential 1800 to Transitional Office
  Published in Ilanga - 15 September 2011
  Published in Mercury - 16 September 2011
  
  
• 47 SHONGWENI ROAD, HILLCREST
  Have a 3rd Storey (Utilisation of basement for habitable purposes)
  Published in Mercury - 16 September 2011

• HILLCREST COMUNITY POLICE FORUM (CPF)
  The Hillcrest CPF will be holding its monthly meeting on 26th October 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

• KLOOF COMMUNITY POLICE FORUM (CPF)
  The Kloof CPF will be holding its monthly meeting on 10th October 2011 at Kloof Junior Primary School in Kloof @ 18:00. This is a very important non-profit organization that is very poorly supported by the community.
  

• CENTRAL OUTERWEST RATEPAYERS & RESIDENTS ASSN.
  COWRA will be holding their monthly meeting at 19:00 on 24th October 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)
  
  

• 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]

• PROPOSED LOCAL BUSINESS TAX
  The 5 Metros have got together and are putting together proposals for consideration by National Treasury for a Local Business Tax. If you are a business owner please let us know how this tax would effect your business and employees. [proposed business tax]

• LOAN OF 100,000,000 EURO
  This item has since been removed from all agendas, including Executive Committee and it appears that they have given up on this. We will watch to see if it resurfaces.
  

• 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
• DA councillor being sidelined - 03/09/2011

• 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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