F.A.Q.

Common questions residents ask about UKID.

About CIDs
Who is on the Steering Committee?

A page with brief bios of the committee can be seen here

Has anyone in the community served on a CID before?
One resident replied: “I served on a CID committee in an industrial area that was becoming a nightmare and where crime and dumping was completely out of hand! As a result of the CID, the subsequent turnaround was impressive with increased commercial property values, also occupancy and investment in the area became substantial despite a growing informal settlement on the boundary. It wasn’t an overnight success, some lessons had to be learnt about positioning and monitoring of cameras and quick response times, but the extra costs more than paid off within the first few years. The streets were taken back, hijackings became a thing of the past, armed robberies went to nearly zero, people could drive into the area at night and park cars outside of security fences without fear, verges were planted and maintained etc. We are living in increasingly desperate times and I personally think that now is the time for a CID!”
Can a CID be dissolved after it's been created?
Yes, there is a process to follow, outlined by the City of Cape Town
Does a CID have to be in place for 5 years minimum?
No. There has been a misconception about this, likely stemming from the fact that we have to submit a 5 year budget as part of the business plan. If the community votes to support a CID, there is no minimum term, although we hope it will last for many years to come.
Why a CID?
What happens to Upper Kenilworth, should there be insufficient support for a CID? How will a rejection of the establishment of a CID i.e. a negative vote, impact market values, and the sale or rental of their properties ?
As a professional valuer deeply invested in the area, the reason I have worked tirelessly to start a CID is that I know that the value of property in the area will initially stop growing and eventually start reducing.

When I first moved here I felt safe everywhere, there are now streets and areas I avoid walking in. I walk the greater area [of Upper Kenilworth) at least 3x a week for exercise, but the areas around the Post Office, St Thomas Rd, Cnr Indian and Main, the railway slip Rd and parts of Harfield Rd now frighten me and I avoid them. The situation has worsened horribly in the last three years. Values _will_ start going down soon. I guess if you are looking to sell off your property to move on to another area or to a different living situation, you would want to get the most you can – so market value becomes very important….

To build on this, one also needs to look at the desirability of an area, both as an investment, and from a lifestyle point of view (if living here), and that is influenced by the public spaces, not the private ones. Those public spaces are directly addressed by a CID (or perhaps another structure?), but not by beefing up your own private security.

Voting
Where do I obtain a voting form?
Physical and online forms are available here. Additionally you can pick one up on a Saturday morning from our table in the the business precinct.
Do I have to vote?
While everyone does not HAVE to vote, we strongly encourage you to. We believe in the benefit of the CID, and if you are unsure or against it, we encourage you to talk to the committee and community and ask questions to better understand your concerns. Additionally, if you are against the CID or an element thereof, you can state your concern on the voting form.
Where can we track the voting progress?
We will look at putting up a ‘barometer’; also publish the results on the UKID Residents WhatsApp group.
Are tenants allowed to vote?

No, a tenant does not get a vote unless the owner nominates the tenant to vote in their stead, in which case an official letter from the owner would be required. Each registered property gets a vote.

CID levy
What will the CID cost a residential owner?

The city will use a CID levy factor of 0.000771 applied to the city’s property valuation for your property. This is very similar to the factor used by LKID, our neighboring CID.

For example, the cost per R1m is: R1000000 x 0.000771 / 12 * 1.15 = R73.89

Will I pay the CID levy on top of the current camera and/or tactical vehicle payment (e.g. KOM/HSR)?
No, payments for public camera monitoring (e.g. KOM) and tactical vehicles (e.g. HSR) will fall away, as the CID will take over this responsibility.

Discussions between Chris Bertie and Princeton is that the cameras in the KOM area will move to UKID and fall under the UKID management and security structures. The R400 a month that those in the KOM area are now paying Princeton will then fall away.

Why does the CID levy include VAT, while my rates do not?
When the city setup the CID / SRA system, SARS made a ruling that the CID levy payment to the city was for services rendered, and thus attracts VAT.
How will the CID levy appear on my rates bill?
The CID levy will be a separate line item on your rates bill.
Service Providers
How will we choose service providers?
The board will put out a tender and receive at least 3 quotes. They will then evaluate those quotes based on criteria such as price, service offering etc, and choose the best providers to meet our needs. Additionally, UKID will work to ensure that the service providers meet their Service Level Agreements, and can replace a service provider if the need arises.

The process will be transparent.

Security
Presently the Tactical Vehicle services offers a Meet and Greet option - will it still be available to all residents?
Once the CID is operational, the CID tactical vehicle will do meet and greet for all residents as part of their service.
Service requests
Whom would I contact if I have a complaint / service request (e.g. street light out)?
The CID manager, whom we will appoint. Adequate contact details and social media channels will be set up.
Still need help? Send us a note!
For any other questions, please write us at info@ukid.co.za or call Chris on +27 83 625 4069
022032051 041