February 12, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Five-Year Fee Waiver Extension On L.A. City Council Agenda Today:

The Los Angeles City Council is scheduled to discuss today the extension of a five-year fee waiver for film productions shot on city property, along with other measures aimed at combating runaway production.

The council will consider extending until June 30, 2019, a fee usually charged for filming on city-owned property, such as Los Angeles City Hall, libraries, airports and police facilities.

Over the years City Hall has served as a set for TV shows such as “Scandal,” “The West Wing” and “Newsroom,” and such motion pictures as “Chinatown, “Gangster Squad” and “Mission Impossible 3.”

The waiver, enacted in 2006 and extended once, expired at the end of June. If approved by the City Council and signed by the mayor, the fee waiver would apply retroactively to July 1. Some properties would be exempt from the waiver, including the Convention Center, Olvera Street and the Los Angeles Zoo.

City officials estimated the fee waivers may have cost the city about $1.75 million in lost revenue over the past five years, but the roughly $350,000 annual loss is acceptable, considering increased revenue from increased business and sales taxes.

Councilman Paul Krekorian, who chairs the Ad Hoc Committee on Film and TV Production Jobs, said the film and television industry “is essential to our city’s economy and to our cultural history.”

The fee waiver and other measures to be considered today “will simplify the film permitting process, incentivize filming at city-owned properties and show that Los Angeles is ready to improve the way it does business with the film industry,” Krekorian said.

Other measures include having FilmL.A., the city-county permitting agency, keep records of the fees waived, the types of film productions that receive waivers and city properties booked for filming. The city also would analyze feedback from the film industry annually and free up parking at the Department of Water and Power’s downtown headquarters for use by the film industry.

Proposals also include hiring more staffers for the Department of Parks and Recreation film office and in the Transportation Department, which is responsible for posting of film-related street closing signs. City officials also would create a list of city-owned filming locations, or properties that can be used for parking or other production-related purposes.

In 2015, new tax incentives are expected to become available for producers. Earlier this year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation to make $330 million a year in tax credits available through a competitive application process. The move raised the pot offered by California above the previous $100 million and brings it closer to the $420 million a year offered by New York.

in News
<>Related Posts

 (Video) Beaten Dead Body Found on Santa Monica Shore

February 11, 2025

February 11, 2025

The Victim Was Pronounced Dead at the Scene The Victim Was Pronounced Dead at the Scene. pic.twitter.com/88huU3goOO — Santa Monica...

Worker Relief Fund Launched for Those Impacted by Palisades Fire

February 11, 2025

February 11, 2025

In addition to direct relief, the county is seeking donations for the fund Los Angeles County has launched the LA...

How Much Have Palisades Property Values Slipped After the Fire?

February 11, 2025

February 11, 2025

Property prices drop as sellers and buyers remain at odds in post-fire market Property values in Pacific Palisades have taken...

Retailers Impose Egg Purchase Restrictions as Supply Chain Disruptions Cause Concern

February 10, 2025

February 10, 2025

Egg Limits Are Back – What’s Causing the Shortage? Retailers across the United States, including Costco and Trader Joe’s, have...

Community Protest and Petition Against Controversial EPA Plan For Hazardous Waste Site

February 10, 2025

February 10, 2025

CD 11 City Councilmember Park to Hold Community Town Hall on Will Rogers Site Protesters marched against the Environmental Protection...

New Bill Targets Crime in Disaster Zones – Here’s What You Need to Know

February 10, 2025

February 10, 2025

Lawmakers Push for Tougher Penalties To Protect Vulnerable Communities California lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at cracking down...

Mysterious Death Near Santa Monica Shoreline, Police Investigating

February 10, 2025

February 10, 2025

SMPD Seeks Information About Victim With Facial Trauma  The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating the death of a woman...

Burned Palisades Lot Sells for Nearly $1M: REPORT

February 10, 2025

February 10, 2025

Aerial images show the property was among several homes in the neighborhood destroyed by the fire A vacant lot in...

Palisades Symphony to Host Benefit Concert to Support Displaced Musicians

February 10, 2025

February 10, 2025

Several members of the Palisades Symphony lost their homes in the fires, making this concert a deeply personal effort The...

What about are you protected from future wildfires?

February 9, 2025

February 9, 2025

Our hearts go out to all those impacted by the recent wildfires and Santa Ana windstorms in Southern California. We...

Shore Hotel Remains Sustainability Leader

February 9, 2025

February 9, 2025

By Susan Payne On track to open its new coastal-inspired restaurant, Shore Hotel has excited new offerings and initiatives this...

Rescheduled 2024 Homeless Count Needs More Volunteers on the Westside

February 9, 2025

February 9, 2025

Not Enough Volunteers to Successfully Count Unhoused Angelenos This Year With the rescheduled dates for the 2025 Greater Los Angeles...

Student Protest Over Immigration Policies Leads to Walkouts Across the Westside

February 7, 2025

February 7, 2025

Walkout Turns Tense as Counter-Protester Confronts Teen in Video From Venice Students from Santa Monica High School (SAMOHI), Culver City...

10-Year-Old Palisades Girl Wins Martial Arts Medals Weeks After Losing Home to Fire

February 6, 2025

February 6, 2025

Savoian, a green belt in Yoshukai karate, trained at Gerry Blanck’s Martial Arts Center in Pacific Palisades Just weeks after...

Open Arms Art Show Runs Through Mar. 22 in Burbank

February 6, 2025

February 6, 2025

Opening Exhibition Saturday Feb. 8 from 12 to 8p.m. More than an art show, the Open Arms Exhibition is an...