The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has instructed local officials to find ways to make things easier on local productions, marking the latest step toward reviving the area’s film and television industry.
The board voted unanimously Tuesday on a sweeping motion with several recommendations for removing red tape and reducing fees to streamline the permitting process throughout the county.
The motion (read it here) outlines strategies to reduce permitting delays, clarify fire safety requirements, digitize contract processes with the Sheriff’s Department and improve access to filming in regional parks and public lands. It also recommends exploring a public-private Evergreen Fund to sustain long-term industry growth.
“Our region is the heart of entertainment,” Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger, said in a statement following the vote. “We’re taking action today to cut through outdated bureaucracy, invest in innovation, and make sure Los Angeles County remains the number one place to film and create.”
Among the proposals, the Board of Supervisors is eyeing assessments on the impact of a one-year moratorium on permitting fees for filming and road use at certain locations as well as county facility use fees.
In addition to some specific directives, Tuesday’s motion also lays out several larger potential strategies for approaching the needs of local productions, commanding public leaders to review all existing permitting policies, fees, procedures, minimum staffing requirements, and regulations “to identify any areas that can be streamlined or eliminated to improve permitting policies and procedures for productions and reduce costs for productions.”
Notably, the Board of Supervisors’ motion would direct county officials to work directly with FilmLA, which just renewed its contract with the city for five more years despite calls for reform. The organization previously has vowed to modify the new contract with the city and work with officials to streamline processes.
In a statement of his own, FilmLA President Paul Audley added: “This motion models how local government can do its part to support the film industry. Today’s vote was a vote to support an industry that needs every bit of help it can get and reaffirms its vital role in the economy.”
