It certainly has been a busy year and we are only a few months in.
Everybody is operating full steam and at top speed. Thankfully, this month we can report our mowing tender problems were resolved and almost all mowing within subcouncil territory has been completed. It certainly is looking tidier!
You will also notice the Roads Department is still very busy in our territory. We have several walkways and traffic calming measures being implemented. There are still roads that are being resurfaced and the painting of the road markings continues.
The work on the sea wall in Bloubergstrand is starting as well, and you will have noticed John Windell Park at Pelligrini is now operating as site offices for this massive project. We wish the teams working on this the best of luck. It certainly is a very complex and challenging project.
The beachfront upgrade is also progressing well and on time. The team is currently busy with Eskom to ensure power supply for the pumps so watering to be done with groundwater. If not already completed, that should be done very soon.
Our People Living on the Street Forum was established late last year and has now met four times. Although we are still struggling to obtain full participation from one or two key stakeholders, recent discussions after our last meeting do hold promise. Our first priority is the children on the streets. We have large groups that seem to grow daily. Our priority is their safety.
The City unfortunately has no mandate to work with children. but we are doing what we can. This is one of the reasons the forum was created. The forum is made up of several NGO/NPOs, Law Enforcement as well as the police. It truly is a combined effort to help get these children off the streets.
I am still holding out hope for a safe space and have been told that one of the locations I have put forward is being considered favourably at the moment. There is a great need for a safe space nearby as our nearest shelters and safe spaces are 35 km or more away. I look forward to the outcome of the assessment of the proposal.
Ward allocation projects are progressing well with many already being completed. At this stage we are comfortable that we will complete them all by the end of the financial year.
We held a meeting with the team from the Urban Regeneration Department. It is fantastic to see the initiatives we planned in the previous year all coming together now. There has been great progress in terms of our Community Action Plan for the URP area, which is a great step forward. Well done to all those involved who are working to make these projects a success.
March is a long month. Good luck with all your projects and be safe.
