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Gary council amends filming ordinance, OKs $20,000 professional services from film fund
Summary
Council amended and passed CPO 2025-9 to remove proposed salary line-items, add $20,000 for professional services, and rely on film-fee revenue; members asked for stronger vetting and payment enforcement for production companies.
The Gary Common Council on April 15 amended and approved CPO 2025-9, changing how the city will support filming-related services and clarifying that production companies will directly hire and pay security and other on-site personnel.
Controller Celita Green and Media Department staff said the final ordinance removes salary line-items that had proposed paying some officers through the city budget and instead adds $20,000 for professional-service expenses. Miss Blackwell, the media-department representative, said the city will use its existing film-fee revenue to cover those costs and continue charging production companies through a fee schedule.
Council members pressed staff on two points: how the city will vet production companies and how the city will ensure timely payment of invoices after filming. Miss Blackwell said the city has a film-permit application and an ordinance that will include grounds to reject permits and provide enforcement for filming on city-owned property; the administration also said it will add language to the governing ordinance addressing timely invoicing and payment.
During discussion Councilman Washington said he was concerned about the accuracy of film portrayals and wanted clarity on whether administration staff review company plans and context for filming. Miss Blackwell pointed to a new "Film Permits" tab on the media-department website and said the office is benchmarking permit questions against other cities and would welcome council feedback.
Council recorded an 8-0 vote to pass the amended ordinance. In the hearing the administration cited the film fund balance in the record; staff read a fund number from their account records. Officials said the professional services line is expected to be offset by fees paid by production companies under the city's fee schedule.
Next steps include finalizing ordinance language on vendor vetting and invoicing and continuing to process pending film permit applications.
