SANTA PAULA : Council May Double Fees for Filmmakers

A proposal to double the fee charged filmmakers who use Santa Paula as a motion picture and television shooting site and requiring advance notice for nearby residents will be considered by the City Council today.

The council has delayed action on the ordinance as a result of opposition to any filming in the city.

While filming is not considered to be a money-maker for the town, Santa Paula now receives $250 per day of shooting, and film companies pay the cost of police and Fire Department supervision.

The proposed ordinance raises application fees and increases daily charges to a minimum of $500. Flyers notifying residents would be required in advance of filming.

“We’re not trying to use the ordinance to say no,” said Steve Rogers, a city official. “We just want to do it to our standards. If that means some people don’t come here to film, that’s life.”

A variety of TV and feature films have used Santa Paula as a location, most recently for the filming of “Yesterday’s Hero,” starring Stacy Keach and Genevieve Bujold.

Councilwoman Kay Wilson said action on the ordinance has been delayed “as a courtesy” to retired Appellate Court Judge Edwin Beach, a longtime Santa Paula resident. Beach, one of the most vocal opponents of filming in the area, has said the filmmakers are often discourteous and charged that the companies abuse the right given them to film in town.

“The city of Santa Paula and its citizens are footing the bill for them to film and make a profit,” Beach said recently. “The city gets nothing from it.”

Under the ordinance, the council would set guidelines to be implemented by city employees.

Rogers acknowledged that there still could be some public opposition to the ordinance, but he said there is “definitely some support among the business community.”