Status Update June 2024

Newlands CID, status update 13/07/2024:

July 2024 is the first month that Additional Rates are being collected from property owners within the Newlands Community Improvement District.  The City will make monthly payments to the CID which will in turn deliver the 'supplementary services' detailed in the Business Plan. 

It has been a very busy time for the CID team.  We were given the go-ahead to register the Newlands Community Improvement District NPC on 6 June.  Only when that process was complete were we able to open a bank account, apply to SARS for tax exemption, PAYE, VAT, become a supplier to national government, to local government, set up accounting systems, appoint Auditors, start interviewing for staff, apply for premises - and all the other things that go into starting a business.  

Sincere thanks to the volunteers who have offered their time and professional skills to move this forward.

Detailed updates:

• CID Office Manager:  This post has been advertised online and applications are invited for a well-organised, full-time employee to manage the Newlands CID office and support the CID Manager.  Contact info@newlandscid.org for more information. 

• Public Safety Contract:  

  • The CID will operate the same number of 24/7 tactical vehicles as the NRA currently has (three)

  • Five security guards will be added at specific 'hotspots'.  Three guards will be 24/7 and two will be 12/7. 

  • There will also be a 24hr control room operator, monitoring a dedicated emergency phone line, the Emergency WhatsApp group and the night-time CCTV network.  

  • Two national companies, which between them supply similar services to every neighbouring CID and Neighbourhood Watch, quoted to supply these and other services. Fidelity-ADT was awarded the contract for an initial period of 12 months.  These Public Safety services should be in place by mid-August.

• Environment & Litter Services:  Two full-time employees will be employed by the CID to work in our parks and keep the streets clean.   Michael who currently works part-time in Paradise park will start full-time next week and his colleague will be contracted shortly.  It'll take a while to work out the most effective work programme for the team but initially it will be litter-picking two days a week, and working as gardeners in our parks for the remining three.  

• Premises:  It will be great if the CID can find a permanent home which is accessible to everyone.  We need an admin and security office, as well as a base for the outdoor staff, with room to store tools, etc.  Anyone who has tried to rent property in Newlands will realise that a conventional arrangement is way beyond anything the CID can afford. We are working on a couple of ideas with the Dept. of Recreation & Parks.

• Branding, Uniforms, Signage:  All CID employees and contracted staff will have CID branded uniforms.  

This is especially important with security officers.   In the past, residents have struggled to distinguish between F-ADT Armed Response officers (who are privately contracted by homeowners) and our NRA Community Patrollers who have a quite different job, even though they are also contracted from F-ADT.  By the end of August, the CID's vehicles, community patrollers and security guards will be easily recognisable.

Wherever possible, the plan is to erect signage at each of the road entrances to our area (approximately 15).