Dear HSRA Property Owner,

Greetings from beautiful Hermanus! This month we would like to update you on several important matters.

Board Appointment

Following Barry van Vuren’s resignation as Director of Operations during February 2021, the Board decided to co-opt Theuns Coetzee in this critical portfolio. Theuns’ resume is available on the HPP website (www.hpp.org.za).

Finance

HPP’s financial situation is healthy. It currently has a balance of R2,724m. This includes a mandatory R1.2m reserve HPP must keep in terms of the Finance Agreement between HPP and the OM.

Although our current account is with ABSA, part of our funds was invested with FNB, which currently offers the best interest rates on short term investments.

Tobie Louw oversees this important portfolio.

Operations

Theuns Coetzee has put his mark on this portfolio during the short time that he has been involved with HPP.

The following happened during the past two months:

• An assessment with recommendation to improve the Control Centre was submitted;
• The FADT patrollers and Reaction Unit’s utilization has been amended to include a focus on sweep operations, managing vagrants and the introduction of night observation posts;
• A 4-year CCTV | surveillance expansion plan (cameras and other specialized operational equipment) has been developed;
• A broadly framed CCTV-strategy was formulated; and
• Weekly meetings with FADT and other role players to assess the crime patterns of the previous week and to adjust the operational plan for the following week.

About to happen are the following:

• Eight (8) Voelklip cameras to come online by 15 May 2021;
• The NAVIC-vehicle identification system that integrates with the LPR-cameras will be operational by no later than 15 May 2021.
• Collaboration with the Kleinmond SRA.
• Various meetings with Dir Neville Michaels (OM) to ensure joint planning, the aim of which is also to avoid duplication; and
• Further discussions with the OM and SAPS to finalise the blueprint for the Incident Command Centre (ICC), which will be activated during crises.

Surveillance – HPP’s Strategic Intent

Whereas the initial focus was to expand our CCTV footprint throughout the Hermanus Special Rating Area (HSRA) and to upgrade our infrastructure, our strategic view of what the future requires is taking shape.

We have set ourselves two broad goals:

• To develop a state of the art, intelligent Control Centre that must be able to manage artificial intelligence systems, which include facial recognition, vehicle identification and movement patterns, people movement and emergency incident identification.
• To install state of the art AI-cameras and support equipment. This will include the upgrading or replacement of existing cameras | hardware that have limited, or no AI-capability and to ensure that all future cameras and specialized equipment have AI-capabilities.

Director Theuns Coetzee is driving this transition.

Monthly Performance Reports

We have been publishing monthly performance reports since January 2021. These reports, which provide an overview of crime statistics within the boundaries of the HSRA, are distributed via email, WhatsApp and posted on the HPP website.

The April report will be circulated on the 7^th of May 2021.

External Liaison

The process to establish an SRA-forum (comprising the HSRA, the Onrus | Vermont SRA and the Kleinmond SRA) is progressing well. This initiative forms part of HPP’s strategy to facilitate collaboration that will result in effective crime prevention across the Greater Hermanus.

HPP also hosted a meeting with Law-and-Order stakeholders. This meeting was attended by Brig Heilbron (SAPS), Dir Michaels (OM), Pierre de Villers (Cape Nature) and G. van Eeden (DEFF) to discuss a combined surveillance strategy and Incident Command Centre (ICC). Further meetings will be held to align surveillance strategies and to finalise the establishment of an ICC.

HPP is also reaching out to the newly established neighbourhood watch groups in Hawston and Mt Pleasant.

Director Anton Hartman is driving this important liaison process.

Cleansing

In addition to cleaning services along the cliff path and Hoys Koppie, HPP also plays an important coordinating and educational role with respect to litter.

A litter campaign is being developed in conjunction with Abagold and the Overstrand Municipality for June (to mark World Environment Day) and September (Coastal Clean-up Month).

A programme is also being developed for a schools’ recycling art project. Discussions with Enlighten Trust and various primary schools are underway.

Ann Wright, who oversees this portfolio, continues to put her heart and soul into this portfolio.

Board Meeting

We held our second 2021 Board meeting via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, 29 April. The minutes of this meeting are available on the HPP website (www.hpp.org.za).

Our next formal meeting will be held before end of June 2021.

HSRA-Quarterly Review Meeting

This meeting was held in-person on Thursday, 29 April 2021.

In attendance were Santie Reyneke-Naude (CFO), Kari Brice (Ward Councillor), Antoinette Geldenhuys (OM – Rates and Data Control), Marcia Brown (HPP – Executive Officer), Tobie Louw (HPP – Director Finance) and Errol van Staden (HPP – Chair). Unfortunately, the Municipal Manager (Dean O’Neil) was unable to attend the meeting.

The purpose of these meetings is to have a conversation about the performance of HPP as the appointed management body of the HSRA, to raise issues of concern and to agree on actions to resolve issues. Primarily, these meetings serve as an important communication channel between HPP and the OM.

Agenda items included an operations review, finance review, surveillance integration and the upcoming perception survey.

It was a productive meeting that was held in a good spirit. The next meeting will be held towards end August 2021.

Perception Survey

The HPP Board is keen to receive ratepayer feedback in respect of HPP’s performance. For this reason, we shall conduct a survey during May 2021.

The survey will be disseminated to all ratepayers through an online survey service, SurveyMonkey. Look out for the link which will be sent to you via email or WhatsApp. We urge you to complete this survey, which will provide the HPP Board with important feedback.

The composite results will be published via e-mail, WhatsApp and on the HPP website.

Thank You

Finally, the HPP Board would like to thank every property and business owner within the boundaries of the HSRA for your amazing and ongoing support.

Until next time, kind regards.

Errol van Staden

HPP Chair