Don't Bring the Big City with You

As more and more people move to the Garden Route and it grows to accommodate them, we are losing the open spaces and the beauty, the slowness of life that encourages the enjoyment of what this area offers naturally. 

What we have lost, and are still losing, on Thesen Islands reflects what is happening beyond the gate.  

➤The Encroachment into Open Space 

Boating down the waterways after many years, I was struck by how boats, canoes, paddles, rubber toys, jetties and floating jetties, boat hoists and walkways, were all crowding into the waterway. 

The year long plus fight a few years ago (2018/2019/2020 blog archive) against the increase in bulk might have been won, but the subverting of the Design Guidelines continued with the insidious allowance of more and bigger decks, jetties and boats on what is actually "common property". It has made the narrower waterways feel more Asian floating village than waterway. 

That pools, yes pools, are allowed 500mm from the gabions is peak crowding of the waterway.  

The one boundary, the boundary that allowed everyone to enjoy the view of the waterway, the one that you would think would be sacrosanct has been breached. Now is it more “look at my neighbour’s toys", than look at the ripple of the water.   

Shoehorn development, squeezing as much sellable or rentable space in as possible, is what happens all over Knysna. 

Blocks of shoebox sized 😉, cheaply built flats in place of 2 or 3 houses, a cheap mall. Another one on its way up across the road, all with that "must have" of Knysna redevelopment, insufficient and inadequate parking.  

I kept a letter to the Cape Times years ago from Christopher Bisset of Rondebosch about the new Montclare Place shopping centre. I kept it for this, his last paragraph: “Every time you drive down the ridiculously steep, narrow ramp and stoop your head in the horribly cramped parking lots, you give your blessing to an architecture that exists only to squeeze profit from every inch of available space.”   Sounds familiar, right?     

➤ Value the Open Space 

The constancy of the HOA eyeing the open space of our Parkland as wasted space. Either an opportunity to make money, cutting it up to sell plots or use it for cellphone towers, or the latest, to build a Padel court(s) using a special levy, meaning we dig into our pockets. They haven't said where they want it, but where but our Parkland?  It reminds me of when, in 2014, I heard in a coffee shop about the well advanced plans to sell off stands in the Parkland. 

28 November 2014

I walk at Steenbok Park on Leisure Island. A few weeks ago, when I was walking there, I thought “In all the years I have been getting their "Friends" newsletters, I have never read of a scheme by LIRA’s Board to build on, cut up, sell off parts or their park!”  

In the 20 years I have lived on Thesen Islands, the Parkland has been under attack by the HOA many times.  Read about the 2014 plan to sell stands here      

➤ Care for Nature

Looking at the original sales brochure for Thesen Islands, I read that “11 hectare Parkland and Bird Reserve is a magnet for the rich bird like of the Islands.”

And of the “Many detailed environmental studies…used in the masterplanning to ensure that the Islands will exist in harmony with the Knysna Estuary environment. Bird plant and wildlife specialists are helping plan suitable habitat…in the waterways, the parkland area and Bird Reserve.”

Many of us were attracted to Thesen Islands because of these features. We enjoy the natural open spaces, the ponds and the birds, the long views. Like everything, it needs to be maintained. But the Board of the HOA, under the guise of letting nature take its course, take a different view.

The Board decision is that the ponds and surrounding vegetation should be managed going forward according to the natural rains and seasons. 4 July 2024

So what does it mean? No effort to get water into them.  Abandoned ponds, framed as letting nature take care of itself.  The premise that ponds can be taken care of by nature is absurd. The big May rains putting lot of water into them, notwithstanding. See graph below. 

The ponds were planned and made by man. Nature had nothing to do with them so nature is not equipped to take care of them. Using the HOA’s logic, you could throw your old refrigerator in the lagoon, telling your astonished neighbour and HOA that you are letting nature take care of it! 

Or look at it this way. Would it make sense if the HOA said that the golf greens, like the ponds "should be managed going forward according to the natural rains and seasons", and never watered them? 

But it gets worse. A few years ago, a rushed vanity project of the board just before an AGM cost R1.5 million to gussy up the top 3 ponds made them completely reliant on Municipal water (ignoring a history of restrictions). The pond levels and surrounds were changed. So today there is no, or little runoff, from the surrounding area into the ponds as originally designed. If we had done nothing, we'd saved R1.5 million, and the ponds would arguably be in better shape.

All the while the HOA downplays the amount of rain we receive. We're in “a climate with unpredictable rainfall” (Where is rainfall predictable? you may ask) with “continued low rainfall” followed up with “The current rainfall is now between the 5 and 20 year averages so we need to accept this as a baseline.” (Last 2, not true for 2023) 30 January 24.

In 2023, Leisure Island received 960mm of rain, far exceeding the 10-year average of 667mm, as well as the 20-year average of 759mm.  2023 Rainfall - Knysna-Plett Herald

"Continued low rainfall" says the HOA, not so says Steenbok Park!

Then, without providing their analysis, they say “it has been determined that there is insufficient rain to fill and keep the ponds full from harvesting roof top water.”  20 March 2024.

Does this justify not harvesting any rainwater for the ponds? 

And 4 July 2024: “It has been it has been determined that neither the use of the borehole nor an RO plant will be either environmentally friendly or financially viable to fill the ponds. 

The borehole (ruled out years ago*) and the RO plant (never a serious consideration) are put in there to make doing nothing sound better.      *Another waste of our money, about R200,000. The board at that time decided not to consult with the South Coast expert who said, straight off, they would not find good water! Read more

Yes, harvested rainfall may not be enough to fill the ponds, but it well could be enough to keep some water, and the water birds, in them. 

The best runoff is coming from the drains that were put in from the road taking the water into the southern pond. Who thought of that? I did in 2019. Does it fill the pond? No. it does not. But it helps. 

I fail to understand the reasoning that the least expensive option – rainwater harvesting - to get some water into the ponds is discarded as it won’t completely solve the problem!   

In an email (30 Nov 2023) to the HOA urging water harvesting, I estimated that the Club House has about 600 sq m of roof. In 2023 with 960mm of rain and the accepted 1 sq m of roof receiving 1mm of rain delivers 1 litre of water, 576,000 litres of water could have been harvested from here alone. My email

Rainfall graph above from "Friends of Steenbok Park", June 2024. 

➤ Enjoy the Slowness

Knysna is slow. Don’t try to speed it up. You won’t be able and you’ll just get uptight. When the traffic on the N2 is moving at the speed limit, be it 80 or 100 km/h, and there is a long line of cars going at that speed, don’t tailgate the car in front of you to intimidate him/her to pull over. Think: The roads are dangerous primarily because people drive too fast. Or cannot think. 

When you are driving on Thesen Islands and the car in from of you is going at 25 km/h even though the speed limit is 30 km/h, don’t tailgate.  And, this is not something you do not know - there are kids, some very small in the roads, riding out of blind intersections, coming out of everywhere. Slow down for their sake, at least!

You moved to Knysna for the lifestyle, remember. It’s slow. Enjoy it.  

And if Thesen Islands is your home, get involved. Write to the HOA about stuff you like and don't like, make suggestions. Speak up. Often, you can influence decisions that have profound impact on our way of life here. 

This blog is a lot of my opinions, some people agree with them, some people, often HOA trustees, don't. But I say this: In 2014, I sounded the alarm about the plan to cut up and sell off the Parkland and members rallied against it, forcing the trustees to can the idea. In 2018, I took up the fight against the increase in house sizes and while it was ugly, with many blog posts, that too was defeated by clear thinking members. Thesen Islands would look and feel a lot different if both those plans, pushed by HOA trustees, had won.

 

“Don’t bring the big city with you” comes from what a friend in the township was told by a neighbour after he got the luck of an RDP house in what is now called Millionaire’s View in Greenfields. It is a row of houses on the top of the hill, looking over the lagoon. Most of the houses are now much grander than what they started out as. My friend has cows. When he was moving in, his neighbour said to him, “Please, Tata, don’t bring the farm with you!”   

 

"Sadly the ponds have many water birds, some who are permanent residents whose home is rapidly drying up. This is a warning of what could happen to the humans who have made their homes on Thesen Islands if they don’t start storing water. "

- excerpt from my letter to the HOA on 30 November 2023.

Here is the letter:

Dear Paul,

I trust this message finds you well. I am following up on my email to you on 6 November, which is appended below, along with the response from Elfrieda Loubser on 10 November, 2023. Please share my reply with the trustees.

Elfrieda's response primarily reiterated the challenges and reasons behind the reluctance to pursue various water projects, as mentioned in the first board communiqué of 2023. I find this response disheartening, given the urgent need for proactive measures, especially in light of the escalating water crisis in Knysna.

The inadequate water harvesting practices across Thesen Islands have become a growing concern for me. I strongly believe that the HOA should play a pivotal role in addressing this issue by setting an example. Specifically, showcasing rainwater harvesting at the clubhouse would embody a 'lead by example' strategy.

Our dependency on the municipality for water becomes increasingly precarious, considering their ongoing challenges in waste collection and sewerage pump maintenance. With water restrictions already in place due to insufficient town water supply and no immediate plans to increase storage capacity, our reliance on small dams filled by river pumping poses a significant risk. Yet the cash strapped municipality, desperate for more income, is still approving a block of flats in lower town, a mall in Main Street, houses, RDP housing and who knows what other developments.

In summary, we face a critical situation with inadequate water supply, managed by an inefficient cash strapped municipality, and a growing demand for water. This is a pivotal moment that demands immediate action and collective responsibility.

Whenever I can, I encourage residents to reassess their water usage and actively explore rainwater harvesting options. But in my immediate area where 3 houses have undergone extensive renovations, no water tanks have been installed and one has a new irrigation system (use prohibited by the water restrictions). This underscores the need for a proactive approach from the HOA.

Possible practical solution: Introduce an HOA requirement mandating water harvesting for every renovation project exceeding a certain threshold. This can be a first step in ensuring sustainable water practices within our community.

Clubhouse

I recently installed a 4,750L tank (DG height limit) adding to 2 existing 5,000L tanks. As I needed to harvest the remaining roof area, mainly the garage which was at the opposite end of my property from where the tank could fit, I needed about 70m of pipe plus numerous couplings to thread it around the established plants and house. The cost of all the materials, reinforced concrete slab, tank, pipe & couplings, 4 leaf catchers, wood for hiding fence was R18,400 (Total roof area harvested is now 218 sq m; 69mm rainfall to fill. Ideally, I need more storage but there’s no space). 

By my rough measuring, I estimate the clubhouse to have over 600 sq m of roof. One square meter of roof receiving 1mm of rain delivers 1 litre of water. 10-year average rainfall on Leisure Island is about 680mm. Year 2023 to October is 799mm!

On the west side of the clubhouse in the lower landscaping there is space to install 8 x 5,000L tanks, 40,000L capacity.  40,000/600 = 67 mm of rain to fill. (8 x 5000L tanks are for discussion purposes here. Given the roof area to be harvested, more tanks should be installed. 5000L tank costs about R5,500)     

Using my costs as a guide, each tank with 70m of piping and couplings will cost about R18,400.  8 x R18,400 = R147,200  So for about R150,000, we could get 8 tanks on slabs with 560m of pipe and couplings. 70m of pipe and couplings cost me R6,000 and I’d think 560m is more than is needed. 

Plus add a pump. An energy efficient variable speed pump, the DAB E.SyBox Mini 3 is now R15,000. So about we’re at R165,000 plus contractor’s costs.   

The clubhouse will be water self-sufficient. And a low-pressure pipe (least expensive type of piping) can be run from the tanks taking most of the water to the most accessible pond.  

Ponds

The current predicament with nearly empty ponds, following a R2 million investment, is disheartening. Sadly, the ponds have many water birds, some who are permanent residents whose home is rapidly drying up. This is a warning of what could happen to the humans who have made their homes on Thesen Islands if they don’t start storing water. 

The initial ponds were likely designed to be fed by run off but are the new ones? Can we investigate how we can get runoff?  At the north end across the road there is a swale with a drain in it. When it rains, masses of water runs down the drain into the lagoon.  What about a sump pump and some piping to run the water into the top pond? There is electricity at the capped borehole.

In closing, the current state of our water resources requires urgent and strategic action. I implore the HOA to consider these proposals seriously, given the immediate and long-term benefits they can bring to our community.

Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. 

Sincerely,

Ken Rutherford

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Email – 6 November 2023

Dear Paul

From 1st Board Communique 2023 (30 January 2023):

" Three of the key issues raised at the AGM by Members were discussed and given the go ahead for further investigation and costing.

1.   A feasibility study will be undertaken to assess alternative water sources including another borehole, additional rain water harvesting and a possible RO (reverse osmosis) plant. The ponds, the golf course and gardens with the lack of rain are of concern. As an interim measure, it will be investigated whether possible to collect rain water from the Club House roof and feed the ponds. Quotes are also being obtained for additional storage tanks for water harvesting at the maintenance area as well as the clubhouse."

 Please give me an update on the points mentioned above. 

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Email – 10 November 2023

Dear Ken

Thank you for the e-mail dated 6 November 2023.

Some feedback as requested:

A number of contractors were approached to do a quote on water harvesting at the Clubhouse. These varied from R 100 000.00 to R 365 000.00 and for this to be a cost-effective solution we need to be able to harvest more than 20 000 litres. An underground tank was considered, but this will add to the cost. The tank also needs to be outside of the peripheral contaminated area.

 Additional storage tanks were purchased and added to the maintenance area.

 A RO plant was considered but other than not having space for the structure, SANParks will not consider the suggestion.

 The alternative location identified for a possible borehole is on Barloworld property and they will not support such a project. There is also no guarantee that potable water will be found at the drilling location.

I hope this answers some of your questions.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any other queries.

More on the Design Guidelines....

IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURAL BACKGROUND FOR THESEN ISLANDS TRUSTEES – 11 July 2022  

(Sent to Trustees in July 2022, now shared with members)

By Ken Rutherford, with input from Gray Rutherford

The Thesen Islands Design Guidelines (TIDG) are sometimes seen by the uninformed as an arbitrary set of rules restricting a member from enjoying his property.  Regrettably this attitude has been given credibility over the years by some trustees who have, either from a lack of understanding, or willfully, undermined the TIDG, or have stood by while their fellow trustees have. Those opposing major changes, like myself, have been dismissed as fuddy duddies clinging to the past. And worse.  

As I have done on my blog over many years, I want to make the case for the preservation of the TIDG: They play a vital role in safeguarding the unique environment and lifestyle we all enjoy.  For this to happen we need informed trustees who want to serve as guardians of Thesen Islands. I am optimistic that we now have such a group guiding Thesen Islands, hence this letter. 

Here is an excerpt from the current Coral Gables Design Guidelines, a city in Florida, USA, incorporated in 1925, almost 100 years ago. It was and remains a planned community based on the popular early twentieth century City Beautiful Movement and is known for its strict zoning regulations. The city was developed by George Merrick, a real estate developer from Pennsylvania, during the Florida land boom of the 1920s:

‘The single-family regulations, as well as the design and performance standards in the Zoning Code, seek to ensure that the renovation of residences as well as the building of residences is in accord with the civic pride and sense of stewardship felt by the citizens of Coral Gables. By preserving the community character of the Gables, the Zoning Code safeguards both individual property values, as well as the quality of life that best serves the collective interest.’   

This is the cornerstone of the Thesen Islands Design Guidelines; to “best serve the collective interest” of the members. Put another way, the TIDG are there to protect members, most specifically by regulating what the neighbours can build and where on their properties. While the member may feel his enjoyment is diminished by a rule, if he is allowed to ignore it, the neighbours will often pay the price. As when the rules are subverted by ill-considered, often illegal, changes to the TIDG. Or simply not enforced.   

The ongoing fight on Thesen Islands is to build more, bigger and cover more of each erf. Such as when a recent group of trustees, thankfully now all gone, tried 3 times to overturn the limits on the size of house allowed.  But the TIDG have been subverted by stealth, and this has been going on for many years.  

UPDATE: The following section refers to actions by the previous board of trustees that thankfully the current board had the sense to withdraw and revert to Design Guidelines Revision 2019, stamped by KM 17 August 2020.  

By boldly calling the designs on the HOA website the “Residential Design Manual 2021 – First Edition” when the first edition of the TIDG was in 1998, the trustees who wrote and approved this “First Edition” arrogantly assumed the right to subvert the TIDG. The look and feel of Thesen Islands is under threat yet again. 

The process that apparently now has them at the Knysna Municipality (KM) for stamping is flawed.  Members were not allowed input on the proposed changes. The changes are not “minor” in terms of the constitution. Prior to the AGM the HOA could not provide a document highlighting the changes, and they still cannot.  The draft minutes of the AGM do not even record the answer by the trustee in charge of the portfolio when asked to explain the changes to members. But from the audio, it was not a comprehensive answer.  They must be withdrawn from the KM immediately.  

In short, when the previous trustees tried to increase bulk, they were defeated as they told the members of their plan, so they used a different tactic this time. They didn’t tell the members what the changes were. UPDATE: Withdrawn. 

{But} Neither do the current TIDG (Revision February 2019, stamped by KM 17 August 2020) “best serve the collective interest”. To pick two examples:

Less Privacy, Less Open Water

They mean less privacy for neighbours as building lines are ignored such as allowing a deck to be built closer to the neighbour and further towards the waterway. This new assault on the front waterway building setback means your neighbour’s deck can now stretch a few metres further out to the waterway, obscuring your view of the waterway and giving you a front row seat to watch their next social gathering.   Then, if there is a bit of open water in the front of his property, he will be allowed to install a 2nd jetty. So you liked your waterway view? Well, it's now hidden by a bigger deck, another jetty and boat.   

Houses on the waterways are close together with the only open space being the waterway in front of them. Yet we are allowing the decks and jetties to multiply and the decks move closer to the waterway?  It is vital that this encroachment of the waterways be stopped immediately. For the record, my house is not on a waterway.

Merit Approvals

The word “merit” is used 17 times as opposed to 4 times in the previous version (Revision March 2014, KM stamped 25 May 2015).

The Guidelines have many rules that are effectively no longer rules as they can be ignored if there is “merit”. Whose merit? The merit of the member wanting to sidestep the rule or the “merit” of the neighbouring members who could  be negatively affected by the side stepping?  

 If we want to have a harmonious community (and perhaps legal action) this way of granting approval must be avoided.  The Guidelines need to be clear and consistent and apply to all members equally, not in grey areas of  “merit” approvals. 

By the way, Westford Bridge Estate has recently removed what was an “waiver of the guidelines” or “merit” clause of approval from their design manual.  They don’t work.

Judged by the standards of Coral Gables, these changes FAIL to “preserve the community character and safeguard both individual property values, as well as the quality of life that best serves the collective interest.”    

Some background on Gray. Gray, as a partner in the Thesen Islands Development Company, compiled with several architects the original TIDG for Thesen Islands and was the first chair of the DRP for about 4-5 years. As a partner in the Belvidere Estate development, he also co-wrote the Design Guidelines for Belvidere Estate and was chair of the DRP there. He recently reviewed and updated the Architectural Design Manual for Westford Bridge Estate.  

Let's stop killing the birds at the ponds

 

Look they are slow. Yes, they do wander onto the road. Yes, they walk funny. But that's why we need to drive SLOWLY when we are passing the 2 ponds.

Make a conscious effort to slow down when driving in the area of the 2 ponds. A few seconds is not going to make difference as to what time you get to Woolworths, ile de pain, PEP or wherever you are going or getting home. 

Drive in the middle of the road when the road is open so you have a better chance of not driving over a Moorhen, Black Crake or Coot.

Look where you are going, not at your passenger. Or phone. 

Be especially vigilant at dusk. A black bird is not that easy to spot.  

It is sad to see dead birds in the road. When, with a little bit of care, it can be avoided.   

Let's make an effort to look after the beautiful birds of Thesen Islands. 

And that includes our owls. Don't use poison. Despite the PR, there is no safe one, I am told. Yes, it easy to drop poison around the place but do the right thing and use a trap. You more than likely have a gardener who can handle it for you, if you are squeamish. 

Use a trap.  These ones, available from Agri, work very well:

   

Vodacom Fibre?

"Naughty or nice isn't a thing any more. Where you caught?"

Remember the great deal the HOA negotiated with Vodacom to install fibre on Thesen Islands? 

You know, the one where at the AGM where we all cheered the payment of about R600,000 that we were getting from Vodacom to fix up our security or some such? We were all patting on the backs of trustees for being such sharp negotiators.  

Then it turned out the HOA trustees hadn't read the contract they'd signed and the R600,000 was for the installation of 3 or 4 cell phone towers on the Islands. That the members rightfully rejected and the HOA had to give the money back. Yes, that deal

Yes, that deal also tied members to overpriced Vodacom fibre contracts for years and years. Maybe forever.  Because any other operator who wants to supply fibre over the lines installed by Vodacom seems to have to pay Vodacom first so that their fibre offers are not competitive.  

So, if you want fibre, Vodacom is pretty much the only game on Thesen Islands. 

And good luck dealing with them.  Here's my story:

Vodacom debited my account the incorrect amount for 2 months and I have been trying for months to get it corrected. 

The reason why they were overcharging me is because at the end of my 12-month contract, they unilaterally upgraded my service and added R50 a month to my bill. 

Do you think I can get this credit? Not a chance. I have been given a series of 082 number to call. Each time I call a new number, I key in my ID number, I tell them my ID number, I get to tell them my story. And then when I am finished, I am told that I have called the wrong number. 

I am given a new number and the story repeats itself. 4 times. And I am no closer to that mythical refund of the overcharge.

The only light on the horizon is they tell me the debit order has been cancelled.  Allowing Vodacom to suck money out of your bank account is a bad decision. Oh yes, I was told the debit order only needed to be in place for one month. Then when I want to cancel it, they tell me it is mandatory, despite an email from Vodacom saying I can cancel it at any time after a month.

That's Vodacom.

  

Thank you and Goodnight!

There are 4 posts, including this one:
Click on the title of each of them below and it will open in a new tab. Or click on them on the right.Thank you.

The Latest Absurdity – Trustees ban holiday rentals
Pour a stiff drink or a large glass of wine before reading this. A worthwhile use of your stash of booze.  My suspicion of government paid off. I always suspected that alcohol could be banned again and laid in a big stockpile. I was "Customer of the Month" at the "Wine of the Month Club"! Problem is with an open-ended ban you don’t know how “lavish” you can be.  
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“I don’t know who reads his blog." - Notes from the AGM 9 January 2020. And a breath of fresh air...
A few comments on the last AGM. An announcement of the formation of the new grouping of members and how to join. 
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A Vision for Thesen Islands - Members uniting for a Better Way forward – Members unite for a better way forward.
 The introductory newsletter from this new group, A breath of fresh air badly needed  
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After 29 blog posts over the 13 months of the FAR/Bulk fiasco, it doesn't need saying that I am happy that FAR/Bulk issue was soundly defeated with 71% of members voting NO at the AGM. 

Despite the huge advantages the trustees had with being able to use the staff of the HOA , the finances of the HOA and the mailing lists of all the members, a majority of members saw through their self-serving misinformation. 

Now with the forming of this new group (Read – A Vision for Thesen Islands), which already has more members on the mailing list they I have, these 3 posts are my last on current issues on Thesen Islands. With the Fisch Group offices in Belvidere being sold (Now the "Oak Leaf Brunch Café") we were forced to clear out the Thesen Islands files, documents, etc. I have some interesting pictures that I will be posting over time. But that is all I am going to be posting. I hope.

Thank you for the posts in the comments that became more as time went on. Supportive or not. Like those telling me I am old and should to leave Thesen Islands. Please comment on these 3 posts. Good or bad, I can take it.  You can post anonymously. 

Sorting through my notes I came across points and thoughts that never made it into a post. So to finish off, I am sharing them here.   
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If the purpose of the electronic notice board is to get messages across, it is a failure. How often to you catch a glimpse of something that you think “mmmm.. what’s that?” But it disappears before you can read it. Never to be seen again. If you are a contractor  waiting for the next “Contractor Induction” date, you will see a flash of it, but not catch the detail. Your only option is to park your bakkie, take out your fishing stool, your flask and your sandwiches and go sit yourself on the side of the road and wait, who knows how long, for the message to reappear briefly between the “Welcome to Thesen Islands”,” Pick up after your dog”, “No drones”, “No fireworks”, “Honk if you want videos.”  Showing fewer message for a longer time would be a big step forward.
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Talking about the Contractor Inductions. I had to beg my tree trimmer to attend one with his helper. 2 x R100. He did a head count. I think he said there were about 35 people there, each paying R100. Total R3,500. “Not bad for an hour’s work” was his comment. 

Our HOA is like any government. Create a layer of user unfriendly, expensive bureaucracy and charge to pass through it. What about recording a video once, playing it once a week, and charging R25 each? If you don’t think that R100 a worker charge doesn’t end up coming out a member’s pocket, you are naive.  Likewise if you don't think it is a discouragement to contractors to offer their services to members, which then has the effect of limiting competition with resultant higher prices to members, think again. 
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How come you have to pay to register your worker at the HOA but if you register a paying guest for your flat it is free? What happened to the “User Pay” policy the HOA talked about years ago?  But then if virtually everything is user pay, how come the levies are what they are? Now if  legal fees were made "User Pay" as well, they'd be less.
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The best predictor of future behaviour is past behavior.
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If a KM Councillor resigns, there is a by-election. Councillors don’t get to pick their buddy to take the place.
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Do you find the trustee's apparent lack of interest in reviving the bird ponds puzzling? Every and all suggestions from members, or offers of help, are dismissed out of hand.
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Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastation to the economy, almost all members who are running a business or working in a business have seen their income cut. Will the HOA staff get their usual increase? And 13th cheque?  Has it become a government job insulated from the reality of the economy? If so, why?
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I have noticed that there is obvious damage to the brick speed bumps and brick paving on our roads. Almost certainly caused and aggravated by large, heavy trucks. Yet our trustees wanted to turn Thesen Islands into a never-ending building site. That would have benefited the service providers and the few owners who wanted bigger house or are in the construction business. The damage to the roads?  That we ALL pay for. No “user pay” here. Why isn’t there a charge for big trucks to use our roads?  User Pay!   
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The borehole.
My email to the HOA in late August 2017:
A guy called Roger Parsons operates a specialist groundwater consultancy.  A friend who has used him ran by the plan of drilling on Thesen Islands. This was the feedback:
 "...  he does not think this is the view of an experienced groundwater specialist.  If indeed there is an aquifer he believes differential pressure will cause the ingress of saltwater.  He suggests obtaining supporting opinions from specialists before throwing money at this scheme."

His website is:
http://www.pasgc.co.za/

 From the website:
 Parsons & Associates Specialist Groundwater Consultants CC is a focussed company promoting sustainable use of South Africa's precious underground water resources by all its people. The company was formed in 1996 to meet a growing demand for specialist geohydrological services, particularly with respect to water supply, groundwater contamination, environmental impact assessments and waste disposal. The consultancy provides skills and support in all facets of groundwater.

Part of the HOA reply:
Firstly, the only true authority on the presence of a viable water supply is the borehole itself. Until this is done, it remains opinion and this is only buttressed by the experience of the specialist.

Parsons view about underground water being present, "is not the view of an experienced groundwater specialist", but I am sure he is not aware that this is the opinion of Willo, one of the most experienced geologists in the country.

SCORE: The “experienced groundwater specialist": 1 
The” experienced geologist”: 0  
The biggest losers: The members who picked up the tab. 

No one wants to talk about exactly how much, but I hear over R200,000. That’s the “personal information” that the HOA doesn’t like to share.  
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But the HOA doesn’t want to install water harvesting tanks at Red Square. It is too expensive, they say. And because the gutters drain to the inside courtyard! Yes, but from there must be some modern technology like a pipe that drains the water under the building to the outside, surely?  The HOA should be setting the example to members with water harvesting. Yes, it will not amortize itself. But is gives you independence from the KM for most of the time. And perhaps it could help the feed the ponds.  I have 2 x 5,000L tanks which keep me in water almost year-round.   
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Given that the Design Guidelines have effectively been tossed out the window, what does the Building Control Officer actually control?  
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I was amazed to read that a trustee can serve 9, yes NINE, years.  That needs to change. Being a trustee should not be a career. And if you want to make it a career, you need to rethink your life choices. Do you think the HOA will tell us who is up for re-election or resigning before the AGM? Or will it be a “get back to you” reply.
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I notice a pattern here in Thesen Harbour Town with our HOA. Legal action over THI with, I think, 9 proposed rental units, HOA asking KM questions about the Boatshed, main occupant The Lofts Boutique Hotel. (See post – The Latest Absurdity).  Do you think that the owner of the Turbine Hotel is wondering if he’s next in the firing line?  
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The trustees never put their name to any communication. It is always “the Board” or they make Burchell put his name to it.  Yet they constantly whine about personal attacks. How can you attack someone if you don’t know who they are?  Memo to self: Get my worker to put his name on my blog. 
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To the people who say "Stop the arguing. Why can't you sit down and come to an agreement. If you all be nice..."  There was no middle meeting ground about building houses in the Parkland or increasing bulk. Nor was there any about the cellphone towers. 

Build in only half the house in the Parkland ? So only half of the affected members lose their view? Do we have them draw straws?  Draw straws as to who gets a cellphone tower outside their house, too?  Likewise with the Bulk increase. The choice was basically between keeping Thesen Islands as it is or turning it into a never ending building site that slowly became to resemble Knysna Quays in density. 

Rather than whine about those who stood up against the trustees, look at the actions of the trustees. Yes, it was unpleasant. Yes, it still is unpleasant. But a fight is never pleasant. Most people avoid them. But sometimes there is no choice. 

Unfortunately there are some trustees to whom the best interests of the members and living in harmony are alien concepts. Bit harsh, you say? You obviously were not at the AGM where this was on display for the whole meeting.      
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But what this has shown is that the good people of Thesen Islands can and will stand together as a united force. Not afraid and not intimidated. I salute and thank those members.  Being in the thick of it, what I did notice that it was the women of Thesen Islands, maybe even more than the men, who would not allow themselves to be bullied.  

Thank you and goodnight. 
Ken Rutherford

And another thing. When they start telling you "You still have it", you don't.

The Latest Absurdity - Trustees ban holiday rentals

                                                     "Leave room for Gin"


I get the feeling that the trustees are anti holiday renting. Looking from the outside, they seem to be looking for reasons why it can be banned. Or am I distrustful?  But then look at how they act.

With complete disdain for the member's views or interests.  Where is their mandate for arbitrarily banning rentals? Without consultation with members? Without, it seems, engaging diligently with the KM and competent experts? With no regard to the hardship this banning would cause some members? It is hard to escape the feeling that they want to punish certain members. Or all of us. For what, who knows? 

And answerable to members? Not a chance. 

In the real world any business that spends as much on lawyers as our HOA is either crooked or going bankrupt.  

And we've got the "Don't Speak to Me, Speak to My Lawyer" gang in Red Square. Starting fights with our neighbours. Spending our money on lawyers.

We get an email on May 29, 2020 saying that :

All formal communications relating to TIHOA has always in the past and will in future take place through the TIHOA office and portal, not via FB or ANY other Social Media.  Any Member can express their own views on non-official TIHOA platforms, but such views are not necessarily those of TIHOA, unless TIIHOA officially sanctions such. 

Yet, when I look at my wife’s Facebook (I am not on Facebook) I see long technical debates, apparently spilling over from the “official” HOA controlled Facebook pages (she’s not registered there)  to the “non-official” Facebook page. Renette Kumm, who the trustees have appointed head of something called "Thesen Islands Rental Organization", in the thick of it.  So why is this debate happening on 2 different Facebook pages if, according to the HOA, it counts for nothing?  Or are they "officially sanctioned"?

By the way, the HOA controlled Facebook page apparently deletes opinions it disagrees with. And cannot explain how pro trustee fake profiles are created on their HOA Facebook even though they approve all the joiners. 

When the most recent fake FB profile was discovered the GM promised a member that they would check the database and ensure that only those members who were entitled to be on the page would be. The member says that at the time Warrener Law was a member and has been since 2018. How does a lawyer paid for by the members, who is not an owner or a long term tenant, land up as a member of this group? To keep an eye on the restless members?.

Like when the HOA cannot explain how private information of members opposed to them ends up in the hands of pro trustee members and is widely distributed by email.  I think they said they could find no evidence of the leaked documents. You would think the documents under control of the HOA landing up in the inboxes  of many members (mine included) is "evidence" of the leak?  It is all a big mystery to them.

To the banning of holiday rentals (except your own house over Christmas, it seems). 

I have not dug deeply into this. I don't know the intricacies. I am a layman. But what I read puzzles me as to what are the motives of the HOA?   Once again I see, in true Thesen Islands HOA style, it has becomes an argument over the meaning of words. Their tactic is "If you cannot beat them with whole understandable sentences, then drag them down to debating the meaning of words." Like what does "dwelling" mean? Tenant?  Monday?  Door?  Holiday?  And refer to obscure, often outdated documents. It is the "bulk increase" playbook all over again.  Read here 

We get the absolute black and white (with liberal use of bold type) email from the HOA telling members they cannot rent out their homes/flats except over the Christmas holidays. HOA email 11 July 2020: Whole house lets on an ongoing basis or out of the Holiday Season are not allowed.  However, an occasional holiday let in season is allowed, providing it is not a business. 

Yet no one at the HOA seems to have spoken to the right people at Knysna Municipality or to a practising local town planner. Because the Knysna Municipality in an email states: “You are well within your rights to rent out your entire property for long term and short term rental.”  (I have not seen the email, just this quote from it) 

The town planner writes: “One cannot read something into a definition that is not there. The zoning by-law does not prevent short term letting, and it was also not the intention to govern the rental of a dwelling house through the zoning by-law. If gated community’s Constitution does not prevent the rental of a dwelling house, it can simply not be prevented via the municipality’s zoning by-law.” 

So now the trustees are rolling out a version of “this is all very complicated and confusing“  story that they used to try to pull the wool over member’s eyes on the bulk increase scam. 

They now say (30 July 2020): “…we took a long hard look at the by-laws regulating short term rentals. We asked the Knysna Municipality for comment, obtained legal opinion and sourced specialist input. Input from the Municipality has been vague and confusing, lacking a concise policy on short term-letting. They write of an “ongoing basis for at least eight months requesting clarification and a policy directive.”  But this vagueness and confusion didn’t stop their NO RENTALS  email of 11 July 2002, did it? 

Yet – IN LESS THAN A MONTH - worried members managed to get clear answers from the Knysna Municipality and a practising local Town Planner that demolished the HOA's interpretation. Nothing vague or confusing there. To add insult to injury, some Members paid for this expert advice out of their own pockets.

Then I come across this. I have cut it from the Special Municipal Council Meeting, Supplementary Agenda, 20 June 2020  (Use CTRL+ to increase size CTRL- to reduce again).

In summary this submission was made of behalf of the HOA (yes, you as a member)  by Sam Lurie & Mark Williams.  In A the HOA says: "Please add short term self-catering accommodation as a definition..." The response of the KM is  "There is nothing in the zoning scheme that prohibits the long- or short term rental of dwelling units to tenants or tourists. No amendment required."   There is no clear indication of why the HOA wanted this inserted, nor what was the HOA's intention. But given the KM response, it seem it well could have been a negative for members who do holiday rentals. Why would the HOA want to slide this definition into the zoning regulations? Just as confusing is why the application was made on behalf of TIHOA members yet no-one was informed of the changes or asked to provide comment.

In B, the HOA says: 'The Boatshed has been zoned business.There has been an omission of the regulation plan in recent new construction." The Boatshed houses The Lofts Boutique Hotel, ile de pain and other businesses. Why is our HOA concerned about this?  Are we again opening ourselves up to legal action from our neighbours? Like the action against the building at THI that the trustees and lawyers kinda, sort of, almost, but did not guarantee we'd win?  

Was the decision to submit these items made by the Board? Did all the trustees vote to do this?  What was their reasoning? (Oh no, wait we can't see the minutes unless we make an appointment at the HOA). Failing a detailed explanation from the HOA Board of Trustees to all members by email, make your own judgment on what these trustees were up to. 

I remember the SGM  called years ago to deal with short term rental where Renette Kumm arrived with a fistful of proxies and voted every attempt at control down. Proving once again that a person's viewpoint mostly depends on whether their ox is being gored. What is needed on Thesen Islands is more selflessness where what is best for our community takes precedence over what may be best for you.   

We do not rent our house or flat out. We did rent our flat out many years ago.

“I don’t know who reads his blog” - Notes from the AGM 9 January 2020. And a breath of fresh air...

"No Thursday's out. How about never - is never good for you?"

“I don’t know who reads his blog” – Bill Cooper, Chairman TIHOA Board of Trustees at the AGM on 9 January 2020, comment to the members when I got up to ask a question. Any member who got up to ask a difficult question could expect a belittling remark or reply, usually both.  

The meeting was so unpleasant that although I was always planning on writing a follow up on the AGM, I have just wanted to forget it.  And forget the whole sorry mess we have here on our beautiful Islands. 

In the 10 days before the AGM, 341 people read the post “New lipstick for the Pig! Trustees try a 3rd colour lipstick but Pig is still a Pig. Pig will be sued! Picture!” dated 30 December 2019. Read it here This post would have helped defeat – for the 3^rd time – the trustee’s scheme to ram through an increase in bulk. 

It was defeated by a vote of 154 against, 64 for. That’s a whopping 71% of homeowners saying "NO". 

Despite the trustee’s year of one-sided communications ending with December “workshops” seeded with feeble-minded lackeys throwing up powder-puff questions fed to them before the "workshop".

Here’s what a member wrote after the AGM:

“It needs to be remembered this doggedness and misjudgement of the Trustees also incurred the Members in unnecessary Legal Expenses.”  

“In the normal course of events people who make errors of such Poor Judgement are not worthy of the job and normally find themselves out of their positions.”

Not so much as a “Sorry for putting you all through this.”  They were told “NO” at the 2018 AGM, so they formed a committee. The committee said “NO”, so they trashed the Committee members and their findings and tried again at the 2019 AGM. and where told “NO” again. That is NOT how you look after the interests of owners. 

Cooper would have liked no one to have read this post    But 259 already have.

The blog posts (with 29 over the 14 month “Increased Bulk” issue) have a combined total of 20,000 reads. Members read it as they know that the communications coming from the HOA over the last years have been biased to push a viewpoint favoured by trustees. The blog is (not by my choosing but someone had to get the facts out) where people have come to find out what is really happening. 

None more so than with the plan to increase bulk and the previous scam to build houses in the Parkland. But I am hoping that the days of the blogging about trustee’s mismanagement are over and I can get back to posting interesting pictures about the redevelopment of Thesen Islands every now and then.  

Because….

There is a breath of fresh air, a feeling hope on Thesen Islands these days. Enough members have had enough of how the trustees are “running” Thesen Islands and a group of mainly concerned owners is forming. From what I have heard it is already almost every member. Join - It can only help make Thesen Islands a better place for us all.  You can read the first Newsletter here. 

This from Trent Rossini, a member driving the process:

Off the back of the many issues on Thesen, it is time we start to act. As per my previous emails, I have set up a database to start collecting details in order that we can get a coherent list of homeowners to participate in far great transparency and most importantly full democracy.

I have created a form for signup - http://eepurl.com/g-Wk8D

Please can you each complete this form and start the process by getting those people close to you to complete the form above – it collects vital details to be able to communicate amongst the homeowners. The list will be managed by myself and will not be shared with anyone outside Thesen and the messages will be carefully managed to ensure we don’t spam.

We really need to start a process of real transparency and full democracy and most importantly we need an alternative and honest narrative.

Thanks, Trent