FBW hosts community meeting
Residents were brought up to speed on the progress of the block watch's many community initiatives.
Florida Block Watch held a well-attended community meeting on Tuesday, September 16, where residents were brought up to speed on the various initiatives of the organisation.
Chairperson John Kirsten launched into the packed programme, which included updates on their various clean-up operations, their securing of electricity infrastructure, and their CCTV camera network project.
Kirsten informed residents that the responsibility for opening mini-substations and switching stations for City Power contractors has now been fully taken over by the block watch.
“City Power have lost the keys to most of the mini-substations and switching stations, and they’ve also lost some of the locks.
“Seeing as securing this infrastructure is relatively expensive, we’ve decided not to give them new keys. They have all the relevant contact details. They can call us, and we’ll open for them, and lock up again once they’ve conducted their work.”
Kirsten adds that the project has resulted in not a single case of theft or vandalism at mini-substations or switching stations in the FBW area being reported since October 2023.
Clean-up operations remain high on the agenda throughout the FBW coverage area, and a new lawnmower and brush cutter purchased this past month will go a long way toward making the job easier.
“We concentrate a lot on the islands since we are not satisfied with the quality of work delivered by Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo,” Kirsten says. “That said, we call on residents to help us keep Florida clean by maintaining their sidewalks and joining us on our clean-up adventures.”
FBW is also working hard to add to its growing network of CCTV cameras and has renewed its call on residents to join them and add their street-facing cameras to the network with the aim of more effectively safeguarding the area.
Ward 70 councillor Caleb Finn updated residents on ongoing efforts to get municipal entities to attend to potholes, water leaks, and electricity problems, and committee member Divan Snyman spoke about the cleaning of Len Rutter Park in November.
