Chairman's Report to the Annual General Meeting of the Misty Cliffs Village Association for the period 1st March 2006/7 to be held on Sunday 22nd April 2007 in the Scarborough Community Hall at 10 am.
The year has been active during which your executive committee held seven meetings. Formal minutes are kept and are available for inspection by the authorities. New building projects, environmental control, and a considerable number of proposed legislative changes in the Unicity on which to provide input were conducted.
Membership
It would seem as though the improved membership conditions implemented last year and the service we provided has encouraged more owners to support their Association.
During the past year a record number 46 [75%] out of 61 owners paid the annual subscription of R300. The balance of 15 [25%] of owners failed to pay in spite of being sent emails, faxes and continual reminders in all our communications. This is an improvement of 21% over last year when 38 [61%] paid. Well done to Treasurer Lyn.
Every owner is an automatic member of the Village Association. The annual fee income of R300 per owner helps to protect Misty's unique "sense of place", make it a desirable place in which to live, and safeguard every owners property investment.
To those owners who have not as yet contributed come on don't be a "free rider" become a part of the community with your payment.
Treasury
Audited accounts will be distributed at the AGM. Our financial position is sound with the surplus of R5 522 being carried forward from the year making our total accumulated funds R65 577 with a separate DSTV account holding R15 623 all of which is held on savings account. Please note that from January we have moved our account to Nedbank and Lyn will provide the new banking details.
In addition to our accumulated funds, we also hold the following -
Baboon Fund R 7 622
Building Deposits 15 000
Environmental Upgrade 14 650
For your information subs of R300 pa generate R13,800 pa and the balance of our income is generated from building scrutiny fees.
We had the misfortune of having a storm claim on our DSTV equipment at the Crayfish factory but thanks to Leon Morris the claim was met in full less the policy excess.
As agreed at the last AGM a gratuity fee of R1000 per month would be paid to our Environmental Control Officer Tim Anderson to defray travel and building inspections and incidental expenses. I am sure you will agree that Tim does a fine job to keep our Village neat and tidy and I will be requesting confirmation of the renewal of his contract at the AGM.
The Directorate for Non-Profit Organisations were unhappy that our auditor was an owner in the community so Tony Turner had to resign and we appoint a new auditor during the year. Brendan O'Shea was formally appointed in January and I will request confirmation of this appointment at the AGM.
Fortunately Tony's services have not been lost to us. He has been actively involved with our diligent treasurer Lyn Mossop and they make a fine team and keep our books in good order for which we thank them.
Public Benefit Organisation
Your Village Association was formally registered as a Public Benefit Organisation during the year and has applied to SARS to be tax-exempt. We await their response.
Registration as a Conservation Village and other legislative and related matters
We are no nearer to being registered as a "Conservation Village" than we were last year. The advent of the consolidation of building regulations throughout the Peninsula via the proposed Integrated Zoning Scheme [IZS] continues to keep our application on hold. However the good news is that we should be receiving a further draft of the IZS by the middle of the year which appears to include the opportunity to register an "Overlay Zone" on the standard building conditions which means that our local building regulations could be included for our area and be entrenched in law. Our local councillor Nicki Holderness is part of the formal Uni-city working group so we have the opportunity to make our voice heard. In the interim most owners are adhering to the Local Building Regulations which we agreed with the South Peninsula Administration.
We made formal written comment to the Unicity on the Integrated Zoning System, Overlay Zones, Spatial Plan, Jet Ski's and Kompanjiestuin Development. A great deal of work and time was involved in making these inputs, and although there is not yet anything to show for it, they are absolutely essential if we are to have any hope of avoiding the potentially devastating effect of unmodified IZS proposals, which seem to be moving in our favour, on our investments.
Richard Court has been deeply involved with our most respected mentor Graham Noble Chairman of Scarborough Rate Payers Association in these matters for which we thank them.
In addition we have been involved in devising control measures related to jet skis, helicopters, traffic and road markings and monitoring of illegal mussel picking.
The planning of a more practicable rubbish collection strategy for our area has been successful with the allocation of free baboon proof rubbish bins to all developed erven. It would however seem as if the bins are not as baboon proof as anticipated.
Leon Morris has been actively involved in representing your Village in these important areas. We thank him for his continued time, patience and persistence.
Environmental monitoring
The appointment of Tim Anderson as our official Environmental Control Officer has been successful and the Village is cleared of alien infestation. Dumping and abandoning of building rubble and garden refuse is constantly monitored and we ensure that it is removed. In addition waste paper and other debris are continually removed from storm water channels and drains are cleared monthly. Well done Tim the custodian of the environment at Misty.
Building and plans approval
Five building plans were approved during the year, and advice and assistance on building regulations provided to owners and their architects and builders. One of these developments is currently in progress and it is anticipated that the others will commence this year.
Our concerns about certain building work on Erf 29 persist and on portions of the road reserve adjacent to the property, together with associated weakening of the support structure of the upgraded Old Camp Road, are still in the process of objection and negotiation through the municipal and legal processes.
Regular inspection by the Environmental Control Officer of all building developments is performed. Monitoring their possible effect on the road continues and has enabled us to take prompt action to ensure good housekeeping is practised by builders to prevent and/or repair damage to the road.
My thanks to Schalk Visser and our consulting architect Gerrie van Tonder for the excellent work done in this important area.
Road
The road is standing up well to the variety of vehicles that move up and down the mountain. Tim checks and does maintenance work every month.
The rehabilitation and plantings as well as stone work developed by owners along the road has substantially enhanced the "feel" of Misty. The plantings of ground cover and trees along the entire length of the road as well as in front of the exposed gabions have done well with the full effect starting to show next winter.
The South Peninsula Administration required the Association to build a catchpit/channel per their specifications the full length of Old Camp Road Extension. The work is in progress and will be completed shortly.
Further work was completed through the installation of road signs by the SPA and a "No Parking" sign at the turning circle of Old Camp Road Extension.
Two owners made full pledges when the road was being built to honour their pledges when they sold their properties. I am pleased to report that one owner honoured the balance of their pledge but regrettably another in spite of a firm commitment did not honour their full pledge of R41,800.
Baboons
It looks as though the authorities are at last taking this problem seriously and we have all the role players involved at present in an endeavour to sort out the problem. The discussions show some promise of evolving a sustainable baboon monitoring strategy for the Scarborough/Misty Cliffs area.
Whatever the outcome baboon monitors seem to be here to stay and I am pleased to report that we have started a special fund to sponsor monitors together with Scarborough Rate Payers Association for our specific are. It is therefore important that any contributions made by Misty owners are channelled through our Association so you are sure that your donation is spent on protecting the Misty area.
My thanks to Richard Court, who has done good work in this area, together with Graham Noble from Scarborough.
Website
Our web site is receiving more hits each month and Richard Court is investigating an entire redesign of the site which he will present at the AGM.
Newsletter
We have had excellent feedback on the news letters we distribute after our bimonthly executive committee meetings to keep Misty members in touch with what's going on. Well done again to Tim Anderson our hard working scribe who does such a super job.
Community
Our second end-of-year party last December was another great success so it will become an annual event in future. We will let you know the date early again this year in the hope of catching the out-of-town owners, most of whom arrive mid-December for their Christmas holidays. Thanks again to Lyn Mossop for providing her home and her team of ladies for anther super function.
Executive committee
My thanks to my committee of Tim Anderson, Lyn Mossop, Leon Morris, Richard Court and Schalk Visser for their hard work and dedication for the owners of Misty Cliffs. I have enjoyed working with you
Schalk Visser has decided not to stand for re-election and we would thank him for his contribution.
I would also like to pay tribute to Gerrie van Tonder our Architectural Advisor for his attendance at all our meetings and good council as well as Graham Noble for his support of the Misty community and sound advice.
We are hoping to welcome new committee members so as to bring fresh ideas. We need to have at least three additional members to spread the workload.
Conclusion
Most owners are very co-operative and are a pleasure to serve. We are trying to develop a more personal relationship in the Village and are now well positioned to monitor and maintain Misty's wonderful "sense of place" and to protect the value of our members' investments. Doug Tunbridge Chairman