Council Drops Fee for Film Productions

Working to stay competitive among cities seeking to draw film and TV crews for location shoots, the City Council this week agreed to drop a proposal to charge an application fee.

Included in a new film ordinance being considered, the proposal had called for a $75 application charge from filmmakers who want to work in the city, money that would cover administrative costs and make sure that crews violate no city codes and act in the best interest of residents and businesses.

But the council dropped the fee idea on the grounds that the money would not generate enough revenue to be worthwhile, bringing in only a few hundred dollars a year. What film and TV crews spend while on location here would more than make up that amount, officials said.

Still, the new Costa Mesa ordinance, which won provisional approval Monday, requires crews to pay the city $40 an hour up to $200 a day to film on public property. The fees aim to recover city expenses such as traffic control associated with shoots.

The $200 cap is the same daily price charged by Newport Beach.

Expenses for police and fire protection, standard in California cities, would be added on later based on what is required of public safety personnel. Fire coverage, for example, is $205 an hour for one engine company.

The council voted 4 to 1 in favor of the new fee scale. Councilman Joe Erickson dissented, saying he could not support portions of the law that waive the application fees, given that processing the documents costs the city money.

“I don’t think the taxpayers should be subsidizing the administrative costs,” Erickson said.

Recent film shoots in Costa Mesa have included Mike Myers’ “Austin Powers” at Hooters restaurant and parts of Tom Hanks’ “That Thing You Do!” at the Orange County Fairgrounds.