KNYSNA NEWS - Residents from Ward 10 braved the rainy and cold weather to attend their integrated development plan (IDP) process meeting at the Knysna municipality’s council chambers on October 11.
The IDP is described as the strategic planning instrument of a municipality and forms the basis of the municipal budget.
The respective ward councillors chair these meetings, with IDP manager Eben Philips making the presentations at each ward meeting.
As soon as the floor was opened for questions, the first such came from Susan Campbell, saying that in order for the implementation of the IDP process there needs to be a good foundation and good governance.
What happened to MM?
“I heard that the municipal manager resigned yesterday [October 10], is that true? If so, why did he do so?”
She also said she heard a Johnny Douglas was to become the new municipal manager and asked what his qualifications were.
Deputy mayor and Ward 10 councillor Peter Myers replied, “The Knysna municipal manager Grant Easton is suspended and under investigation and, like they say, is innocent until proven guilty.”
He confirmed the resignation of Carl Mattheus as acting municipal manager and added, “I am not at liberty to divulge his reasons and do not want to be prejudiced.”
On a question on Douglas being the newly appointed municipal manager, Myers said, “I’ve heard talk about it, but we do have an acting municipal manager Bevan Ellman.”
Another resident said, "There is currently no permanent chief financial officer, municipal manager or director in the planning and development department, how will the municipality be able to manage a billion rand budget without those essential vacancies?"
Myers' reply was that there are competent people in those posts, but that they are looking to employ permanent staff.
Ian Fleming of Fleming Photography said, "Businesses took a big hit with the upgrading of Gray Street as they had to close for a certain period… What is the proposed way forward and how will the municipality address the fact that work already done is falling apart?"
Another resident brought up the thorny issue of potholes, saying currently potholes that are being repaired last less than three months before they are back in a state of disrepair, adding, "Is quality assurance and quality control being done in terms of repairs of potholes?"
Myers replied, "In the ideal world it would take eight to 10 years for fixed potholes to be repaired again, and having to fix them so regularly means that they are not properly done and to some extent you might say its a waste of money."
He said their goal is to fix these potholes within 72 hours as they appear.
More issues touched on during the open floor session were as follows:
• A request from tourism entities for tourism to form a part of the the municipality's budget as opposed to having the municipality internalise tourism altogether. A suggestion was made that the focus should be on destination marketing and destination management and this should be done by an agency outside of the municipality.
• The upgrading of Meubel Road and also a request for clarity in terms of the roads hierarchy and how certain roads are selected for upgrading.
• A request that the water waste treatment works be upgraded to deal with sewerage and increased capacity.
• Clarity as to why the municipality opted to not form part of the joint planning tribunal but to have their own planning tribunal instead, when members on the tribunal should be unbiased and should not have any conflict of interest.
• The council chambers and various other areas of the municipality should be made wheelchair friendly as currently no disabled person is able to attend a council meeting or perform even the most basic function at the municipality.
• Request for adequate streetlighting at Waterfront Drive, as currently the streetlights are on the opposite side of the road where the pavement is too slanted to walk, which forces residents to walk on the other side of the road where there is no lighting.
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: NWABISA PONDOYI, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD JOURNALIST
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