- The Newlands Residents’ Association (NRA) has concluded its 25-year tenure, paving the way for the establishment of the Newlands Community Improvement District (CID).
- This transition, approved through a referendum and supported by City by-laws, aims to enhance municipal services for Newlands residents starting July 1, 2029.
- Led by a steering committee, the CID will operate akin to a non-profit organisation, focusing on security, cleanliness, and environmental stewardship.
In what is being considered a “natural evolution”, the end of the Newlands Residents’ Association (NRA) gives rise to the official establishment of the Newlands Community Improvement District (CID).
Giving credence to this changeover is NRA chair March Turnbull, saying: “After about 25 years, the establishment of the Newlands CID is a natural evolution of the NRA.
“Only now, it will constitute a different funding model which entails expanding services we offer to the residents.”
In the latest NRA Annual General Meeting (AGM) report, it was confirmed that the “referendum for the creation of a CID for Newlands in terms of the relevant City of Cape Town by-laws was decided in favour of the creation of a CID (referred to in Newlands as Community Improvement District)”.
The City said the Newlands CID was given the green light on Friday 31 May. This followed application submissions from communities that outlined the necessity for CIDs in their areas, as well as their frameworks for delivering enhanced and supplementary municipal services to residents.
Effective in July
The Newlands CID services will become effective from Monday 1 July to 30 June 2029. With funding being received at the end of the month, Turnbull believes it will kick fully into gear in August.
“It’s been a two-year process to create the CID, involving a steering committee following City by-laws in creating a proper company to deliver these services,” Turnbull explained.
This steering committee is set to become the initial board of directors.
The first Board of Newlands CID will have strong continuity with the NRA but includes new faces as well.
“And within six months, the Board will need to be formally re-elected, hopefully, with new Directors included. This will give property owners in Newlands their first opportunity to engage with the new entity and to have their say in budgetary and operational decisions,” he added.
A CID functions similarly to an ordinary company (PTY Ltd), although a CID functions as a non-profit organisation (NPO) where members take the role of shareholders.
“Any property owner in good standing with the City can be a voting Member of Newlands CID Pty. Ltd.”
‘Portfolios’
During the NRA’s latest AGM, Turnbull presented a slide illustrating how the “portfolios” of the NRA and the Newlands CID will overlap as “the NRA has effectively been running a CID-Lite for several years”.
He expressed the hope that the CID, with a sustainable funding stream, will increase the effectiveness of the critical security, litter and environment portfolios. However, Turnbull concedes that this evolution to the NCID poses challenges in that two NRA portfolios will not have a natural home within the CID.
These are the Community and Heritage Protection portfolios, both being extremely important to the identity of Newlands.
Work done since the NRA’s AGM, Turnbull concluded, made a way so that the NRA’s old Heritage and Community portfolios can be incorporated into the new CID’s operations.
