Int. No. 905
By Council Members Lopez, Perkins, Espada, Freed, Henry and Linares; also Council Members Foster and Robinson
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to a program to reinvest the proceeds of motion picture and television productions conducted in the city of New York.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Legislative declaration. The Council finds and declares that the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting provides economic development services to the motion picture and television production community which, according to the Mayor's Management Report, Fiscal 1999, employs 78,000 city residents and spends over $2 billion annually in our city.
According to testimony presented by Patricia Reed Scott, the Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, before the Council's Committee on Parks, Recreation, Cultural Affairs and International Intergroup Relations on November 18, 1999, television production in the City of New York has seen a "historic rise" with 13 television series filming around the City. Motion picture starts remain at a high level in the city, though down from the historically high levels experienced in 1998.
Facility construction projects indicate that this boom will likely continue unabated. The Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens is undergoing a major expansion. The Silvercup Studios, also in Queens, have completed a new complex called Silvercup East. A $130 million production facility is under construction at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Motion picture and television production activities produce many jobs and substantial revenue for the City but in the process of doing so, also produce significant disruption to community life. The communities that bear the impact of these disruptions, including street closures, parking restrictions and traffic diversions, should likewise reap the benefits of these multi-million dollar productions.
The Council, therefore, finds and declares that, the City Department of Business Services, working in conjunction with the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, shall prepare and submit to the Council a proposal to ensure that the local communities in which motion picture and television productions are conducted, receive the economic benefits of such endeavors.
§ 2. Chapter 56 of the New York City charter is hereby amended by the addition of a new section 1307 to read as follows:
§ 1307. Motion picture and television productions, community reinvestment. Not later than one hundred twenty days following the effective date of the local law that added this section, the commissioner, in cooperation with the Mayor's office of film, theatre and broadcasting, shall prepare and submit to the council a proposal to create a program providing for reinvestment of the proceeds of motion picture and television productions in the communities in which these productions are conducted.
§ 3. This local law shall take effect 60 days after its enactment.
ISP/lc
LS #2539
04-26-00