MINUTES OF THE BEACH LEVY PUBLIC MEETING

 

HELD AT THE ST. FRANCIS LINKS CONFERENCE CENTRE

THURSDAY 18TH JANUARY 2007

 

Committee: Mike Wylie (MW), Anthony Ball (AB), Emlyn Horne (EH),  Alan Tonkin (AT), Joe Oosthuizen (JO), Paddy Oosthuizen (PO)

 

Estimated attendance: 250

 

MW opened the meeting and introduced himself as a Civil Engineer with WBHO, (a construction company listed on the JSE) for the past 32 years. He said he has been involved with St. Francis Bay since the early sixties. He emphasized that the ultimate goal of the Beach Trust was to save and restore the beach. Apologies were given for poor communication and how they had gone about it. Most of the community felt the need to save the Beach, but needed more clarity and surety that the proposal was the best and most economic way to solve the problem.

 

MW said that AT had raised R700,000 which was used for research and putting the feasibility together.  At this stage questions were asked to be withheld until MW had finished his introduction. MW said the purpose of the Beach Trust was to facilitate the research and put operational systems in place. Going forward a Section 21 Company would be formed to manage the project.  AT had made himself available for the position of Operations Manager and this would be the only paid management position in the company. MW acknowledged that AT was not a popular choice and that alternative candidates could be explored. MW also assured the ratepayers that a full referendum would be conducted and details of this communicated to them. MW promised that they would not proceed without at least a 65 – 75% consensus and was hoping to reduce the levy with outside donations and grants from NGOs private corporate and other sources.

 

MW outlined what it was expected to look like.

 

• main beach parking area tarred – hopefully brick paved

• walk directly onto the beach over a small dune covered with dune grasses

• beach would be about 60m wide and approx. 2 m higher than high tide

• a gentle one in 10 slope would take one to the water’s edge

• waves 1/3 of normal size

• weaker currents

• marine life on reefs

• walk to Granny’s Pool

• boardwalk, new toilets etc.

 

AB ( Chairman of Brait) said he was committed to help the cause and did not wish to see a divided community.  He would be involved with the referendum process and the project finance.

 

JO explained reasons for the objections put forward on behalf of the concerned residents who felt that they had been steam-rolled into the Beach Plan. He emphasized the need for an affordable outcome and said there were many ideas in the community which could assist in the way forward.

 

MW referred to an organizational structure which would fully involve the community.  The detail of this organagram was finalized after the Public Meeting.

 

BJAC (Beach Joint Action Committee) will be responsible for establishing the various committees and recruiting members to serve on them.  They will also be responsible for communications in the interim.  

 

Technical:

Requirements: Preferably a Civil Engineer or Mechanical Engineer.

 

Job Description:

To explore and verify all Technical and Operational options in current format.

To liaise with the consulting engineers MBB (from Pmb) to review the dredger pump stations and pipeline.

To liaise with ASR to review the design and effectiveness of the reefs

To explore other options

To review the costing of the various elements

To recommend a short list for the post of Operations Manager

 

Finance and Legal:

Requirements: Preferably CA, Auditors, Lawyers

 

Job Description:

To audit the financials of the current Beach Trust

To review the feasibility of the project.

To review the agreement with INCA

To assess the agreement with the Municipality and explore other alternatives

To discuss the outstanding debt of the Beach Trust and ensure that they take responsibility for it

To discuss funding for communications in the interim

To discuss levies and explore various other alternatives

 

Environmental:

Requirements: Environmental Experts, Kromme Trust

Job Description:

To assess the current EIA report and liaise with SRK

To liaise with all parties who have done environmental surveys and collate information

To assess the current proposal and its viability.

To ensure that there is enough sand to complete the project without compromising the estuary.

 

Communications:

Requirements: Marketing Skills, People Skills, Good Communication, Journalistic abilities

Job Description:

To keep the public informed at all times as to the progress of the committees

To communicate with the press only once approval was obtained from the Head of each committee

 

Referendum:

Requirements: Experts in the field of surveys, Clear thinking individuals

Job Description:

To liaise with Markinor who will be doing the full referendum

To decide on the format of the questions to be asked in the referendum

To liaise with finance i.r.o. payment by Beach Trust to Markinor

To endeavor to obtain address lists and email lists from Estate Agents to pass onto Markinor

To establish a time frame for completion of referendum

 

 

Fundraising:

Requirements: Marketing Skills, Influential People, Well connected people, Function co-coordinators, “Fairy Godmothers”

To make renewed efforts to obtain funds from Gov. and Municipality

To approach big business for funding

To approach overseas donors

To organize fund raising events

To approach Beach Front owners for additional funds

 

These committees would meet regularly during the next few weeks and come with proposals.  A follow up Public Meeting will be held to discuss the proposals and then the referendum will be conducted.  The head of each committee will present his findings to the meeting. Only after this will the referendum be conducted. It is envisaged that one person from each committee would join the board of the Section 21Company which would be responsible for the execution of the project. The names of the members of these committees will be circulated to all ratepayers who are then encouraged to communicate with them in order to ensure that their concerns are dealt with.

 

Please contact the following  people should you wish to offer your services.

Contact information:

• Joe Oosthuizen – joe@chemdry.co.za  Tel: 042 294 1689 (W)  Cell: 072 1715109

• Emlyn Horne – finance@stfrancisbay.co.za  Cell: 083 3775145

• Alan Tonkin – trust@stfrancisbay.org  Cell: 082 7771519

• Paddy Oosthuizen – paddy@chemdry.co.za Tel 042 294 1689 (W) 042 294 0581 (H) Cell: 082 4265060

 

Questions:

 

• Benny Morsink – Where did the R700,000 go to?

MW said the financials of the Beach Trust were available for audit at any time.

He understood the community were unhappy with the formation of the two operating companies and they have been removed. The Beach Trust was under no obligation to purchase the proposed dredger. He also advised that ASR, New Zealand had been paid and that a loan agreement with INCA was in place and was at the best interest rate available. After discussions with JO  the BJAC was formed. The next step was to register a Section 21 Company. MW had re-iterated their support for AT as Operations Manager because of his knowledge of the project and the enormous effort he had put in thus far. A section of the audience voiced their dissent. Regarding Government involvement MW said that poverty alleviation was the Government’s highest priority. This involved providing basic services such as water, sewerage, electricity and roads. Therefore the chance of funding our beach was very slim.

 

• From the floor – SA has experts in the field, why did we not consult a SA firm

MW said this was incorrect, they were consultants and all elements of the project would be tendered.

 

Bob Griffiths – commented that ASR are in the business of selling reefs, of course they would recommend that it is the right way to go.

 

• From the floor – stated that Climate Change had a lot to do with the state of the beach and could we fight this?

MW said they would not go ahead with the project unless they had the support of the community. MW also said there would be renewed efforts to get additional funding to mitigate the costs.

 

• Chris Barrett – Who appointed the Trustees and why not get the community involved?

MW said the community would have total involvement in the various committees.

 

• From the floor – Stated that the Beach was a State asset and they were responsible for it.  The state do not spend their allocated money.

MW again said that Government could be approached once more but he did not hold out much hope.

 

• From the floor – Dredging which was done in the past, pumped 95% water and 5% sand. He suggested we follow the same route that PE took to save their beach.

MW said that reefs were cheaper, more effective and more environmentally friendly than groins.

 

• From the floor – Kouga used similar bags and they failed miserably.

MW said they were not the same bags.

 

• Buz van Vuuren – stated that the Dredger would be very noisy and that MW was misleading the community.

MW said there were 150 of these dredgers around the world many of them in noise sensitive areas.

 

• Robin Simpson – requested verification of availability of sand.  Asked if they had permission to dredge the area and stated that they had not done enough investigation on the matter.  He felt that there was not enough  sand to feed the beach.

MW said they would definitely not go ahead if there was not enough sand for the project..

 

• Basil Carides felt the people had been misinformed and questioned the Trust on the authority to sign an agreement with the Municipality to impose a levy. He also asked where the Beach Trust had got their mandate.  He further mentioned that should a referendum be conducted that when asked if the homeowner wanted to proceed with the project to save the beach, that they are told exactly what amount the levy would be, for how long and whether there would be any escalation. He suggested that now the Beach Trust seem to be backtracking.  Basil said that the community were lied to.

MW said he was sorry he felt that way.

 

• Bob Griffiths – How did you do the program if you have not done a complete study?

MW – We thought the whole town was behind us.

 

• From the floor – Labour for the operation of the Dredger has always been a problem. What plans were in place?

 

• From the floor – How big is the dredger

MW – He did not know the exact dimensions

 

• Lyn Moore – How much revenue do you anticipate raising per month on levies and how long is the time frame?

EH – About half a million rand.  MW  The duration would be 20 years +

 

• Jim Pattison – We must decide if we are to go ahead with the process and decide if and how the referendum will take place.  There is no point in going over the Questions and Answers that were circulated.  We can all read. MW – Asked AB how long the referendum would take.

AB – 1 – 2 months

MW – Proposed that members of the community get involved on the various committees as suggested. He said there was a need to conduct a referendum and if it takes longer, then so be it.

 

• From the floor – Have you assumed that we are going ahead with the project?

MW No the project will only go ahead if it has the backing of the community.

 

• Bob Griffith – Said he felt one reef would give a good indication of what could be achieved. Advised that more people get involved.

 

• Rudi Dalhauser asked whether all costs had been checked because no decision could be made until the community knew exactly what they were in for.

MW said these costs would be checked and made available to the various committees.

 

• John Marais question the levies formula.  The results showed that the levy would be three times more that AT quoted in the newspaper.

MW hoped that Tonkin had been misquoted.

 

• From the floor – What happens when valuations go up? We were still working on 2004 valuation roll.  2006 not yet released.

MW said the levies would stay constant and would not move up if the valuations increased.

 

• Basil Carides – a levy should be one rate for everyone. Proposed that beach front properties pay higher levies.

 

• Eva Taylor – suggested that people take out an extra loan on their mortgages in order to pay for the levies.

 

• From the floor – suggested that the levies would be utilities based.

 

• From the floor – The question was asked whether the levies would be shown separately.

EH said that if the levies were included in their overall rates, it would force the community to pay them. If shown separately, certain homeowners might renege on paying the beach levy and it would thus be very difficult to recover the money.

 

• From the floor – Suggested that people pay what they can afford.

 

• Elza van Lingen – referred to a two page DA document which was handed out outlining fundamental principles. She proposed that Chimpie Cawood be co-opted on to Committee to assist.  Chimpie pointed out legal aspects and legislative requirements that had not been met.  It was felt that much more thinking was needed regarding the financing. Referendum to proceed with caution – could divide community.  Chimpie said that five years ago 100% agreement had been achieved to proceed with the remediation process.

 

• Benno Dippinaar suggested that beach front properties would benefit most from the project and as such should pay much more.  The first R5 million to be obtained from them.  He also suggested that a percentage of the sale of such properties go towards the Beach Project.

 

• Bennie Morsink again brought up the matter that levies should be one amount for all and said that this was the case with riparian levies.

 

• From the floor – asked whether the minutes were being taken and whether they would be available. Also asked MW if he would stick by his word.

MW assured them that minutes were being taken and that they would be available  (will be circulated via email to those who have supplied us with email addresses).  There will also be copies available at the front desk of the Municipality (ask Edward). MW also assured them he would stick by his word.

 

• Drummond Campbell said that the Trust be commended for the work done so far.

 

Decisions taken:

• To form 6 new committees manned by the community to investigate and explore all related issues

• Committees to give feedback to the community at an appointed date

• A full referendum to be done by Markinor with approved questions

• Depending on the outcome of the referendum, the project will proceed with the registration of a Section 21 Company