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JUST six more signatures of property owners are needed to keep the ball rolling for the establishment of a business and residential City Improvement District (CID) for Observatory.

A CID supplements services already provided by council and also assists policing authorities in improving safety and security. An R80 levy will be deducted from ratepayers every month by the city to pay for these additional services.

Approval by 25% of property owners in the area is needed for roleplayers to approach the City of Cape Town for permission to advance the process. If permission is granted, up to 75% of property owners must approve the project within six months before it can be cast in stone.

Chairperson of the Observatory Business Forum, Andrew Fife, says the CID will prove effective in building a cleaner, safer and more valuable area.

"Most people have totally supported the initiative and things are going better than du?ring any of our previous attempts to establish a CID. Only an additional 1% is needed to advance the process."

He encourages property owners who have not yet signed to do so as soon as possible. Additional information, as well as support forms, can be found at www.obz.org.za or at the Observatory library.

"Together we can make a safer Observatory that will benefit our clients and our business."

According to the Observatory Improvement District (OID) business plan, the mission will be to manage substantially improved service delivery to all property ow?ners in the area in collaboration with the city.

The main concern of the OID will be to lower crime by deploying security companies, installing security cameras with rapid response time, increasing visible security pre?sence, and working hand-in-hand with the Observatory Neighbourhood Watch, police and private security firms.

Brain Amery, a member of the OID organi?sing committee, says the successes achieved by areas such as Sea Point and Woodstock motivated them to establish an improvement district of their own. ?We also know how well the police are doing in our area with the assistance and efforts of the neighbourhood watch, but the average resident feels unsafe and crime has an enormously detrimental effect on our daily lives.

"Now is the time to take control ourselves, before we are the only unprotected suburb remaining."

Cleaning teams dedicated to targeting grime, litter and graffiti will also be given top priority, and supplemental cleaning ? inclu?ding street sweeping, drain cleaning, litter removal and controlled dumping ? will also be provided. Maintenance and manning of local parks and gardens will be improved.

OID also intends to establish a "holistic" solution to the homelessness issue in the area, aiming to work with the city?s existing projects.

Ward councillor Cedric Thomas, who will be motivating the establishment of the CID at full council for approval when 25% of the signatures is obtained, says input from the community at large is essential for the project to be a success.

"People will get the opportunity to have more say in what's happening in Observatory and play a more active role in what's going on around them. The CID will be positive and beneficial for the community and residents must grab the chance to be part of the decision-making, the running, and the upkeep of the area."

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