Dear HSRA Property Owner,

Greetings from beautiful Hermanus, where we continue to feel the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown regulations.

Our local economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism, is bleeding. We can only hope that some of the restrictions (e.g., curfew hours, the alcohol ban, and the opening of our beaches) will soon be lifted. All of these will help our hospitality industry to lift its head.

As we find ourselves at the start of a New Year, I would like to quickly bring you up to speed with a few matters.

You will notice that we have migrated from Status Updates to Newsletters, this being the first newsletter.

Special General Meeting (SGM)

HPP hosted a SGM on Tuesday, 26 January 2021 via Zoom. The purpose of this meeting was to approve the budget and implementation plan for the next financial year, which commences on 1 July 2021.

In terms of the Finance Agreement (FA) between HPP and the Overstrand Municipality (OM), the following year’s budget and implementation plan must be approved by HPP NPC members by 31 January of each year – for inclusion in the OM’s overall budget.

Both documents are available on the HPP website (www.hpp.org.za). We are particularly keen to receive your input with respect to the implementation plan. If you have any ideas or recommendations, please share them with us (info@hpp.org.za).

The budget also provides a quick overview of HPP’s financial health – current and projected.

Hermanus CBD Public Safety Initiative – Festive Season

Whilst a lot of planning went into this initiative, lockdown regulations post-Christmas 2020 played into our hands. The curfew had a significant impact on the movement of people, which lessened the likelihood of crime in the Hermanus Old Town.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our ‘partners’ (SAPS, Law Enforcement, neighbourhood watch groups and private security companies) for their vigilance during this time. Collaboration is certainly the name of the game.

CCTV Expansion Project

I am happy to report that the expansion project has commenced. It is important that we update you on the extent of this initiative and certain details of HPP’s surveillance strategy will be shared during February 2021.

HPP Reporting

Attached is a report that provides an overview of HPP activity during December 2020. In future, you will receive these reports during the second week of the month.

We would like to invite you to submit your thoughts on additional metrics HPP should be tracking. In the final instance, HPP should be able to demonstrate a return on investment (ROI).

Forging Relationships

HPP values stakeholder relationships. With this in mind, we shall continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies, neighbourhood watch groups, private security companies and relevant community-based organisations, such as the Cliff Path Management Group.

One of our objectives in the Implementation Plan is to start quarterly, well-structured meetings with the Municipal Manger and CFO. This will assist to strengthen our relationship with OM.

It is also our intent to establish an SRA-forum, which will allow for collaboration between HPP, the Kleinmond SRA and the Onrus | Vermont SRA. These SRAs are planned to commence on 1 July 2021.

Board Meetings

The Board meets formally every second month. The first 2021 meeting will be held during February. We already have a fairly long list of topics we must discuss.

In between formal Board meetings, Board members have regular contact (virtually daily) via a Management WhatsApp Group. And if there is a need, we call a quick virtual meeting to deal with pressing issues.

The minutes of formal Board meetings can be found on the HPP website.

The Crime Situation (within the HSRA boundaries)

If you were to ask what the situation currently looks like (given the context of job losses, unemployment, organised criminal activity, and drugs), we would probably answer by saying that (given the information at our disposal) the situation is pretty much under control. However, we are mindful of the fact that this situation can change extremely quickly.

The occasional burglary, vagrants along the cliff path and inside the CBD remain a challenge, along with unabated abalone poaching. The HPP team continue to escalate incidents of poaching to DEFF (Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries), however, a governmental solution to dealing effectively with the poaching problem remains elusive.

HPP patrollers (both on foot and in vehicles) maintain high visibility and are in constant contact with the HPP control centre.

For assistance, contact the HPP control centre on 087 550 5295 or report a non-urgent incident via the HPP website https://hpp.org.za/report-an-incident/. 

Friendly Reminder

Please remember to notify HPP when:

• Your e-mail address changes
• Your mobile number changes
• You sell your property
• You buy another property within the boundaries of the HSRA.

You can do the above by sending an e-mail to info@hpp.org.za.

Wishes

In closing, the HPP-Board would like to wish you and your loved ones all the best for the year ahead. Indications are that it is going to be a tough year, however, hold onto hope and trust that we will prevail.

Until next time, kind regards.

Errol van Staden
HPP Chair