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Ossining to consider film-permit fee schedule, board set to vote next week
Summary
Town staff outlined a proposed film-permit application and fee schedule tied to Local Law No. 1 of 2026 and said the online application is targeted to go live July 1, 2026; the board will vote on the resolution at its next meeting.
Town staff told the Ossining Town Board on June 2 that a draft film-permit application and fee schedule will be posted for the board’s vote next week, with an intended effective date of July 1, 2026.
The staff presenter said the town passed Local Law No. 1 of 2026 at a prior legislative meeting and is now finalizing an online application and payment process. "We passed Local Law No. 1 of 2026 at last legislative meetings," the staff member said, adding that the online form and payment integration are in progress and an intern has helped prepare the form.
Why it matters: film shoots can disrupt traffic, parking and nearby businesses. The proposed schedule seeks to balance revenue, administrative costs and community disruption by charging different daily fees based on project type and location and by requiring standard insurance and hold-harmless agreements.
Key elements of the draft fee schedule presented to the board include the removal of the previously proposed $200 application fee and a per-day filming-permit line item (a $1,400 per-day figure was cited in the presentation). The draft also lists category-specific fees: student films $0; not-for-profit or public-service projects $100 (public property) / $50 (private property); commercial advertising $1,500 (public) / $1,250 (private); and major commercial productions $5,000 (public) / $2,500 (private). The presenter said additional fees would apply if police officers or town staff are required on site.
Staff noted that payments currently must be mailed or hand-delivered, and that credit-card acceptance is not yet implemented. "When a new credit card company appears that the clerk's office and the finance department is okay with, we'll deal with that when we get there," the presenter said.
Board members discussed whether permits should be strictly daily or allow multi-day caps; staff said the town has discretion to limit multi-day use if a proposal would be too disruptive. The presenter asked the board for direction and said the fee schedule will be listed as a resolution on next week’s agenda with an effective date of July 1, 2026, to coincide with the online launch.
What’s next: The Town Board will consider the resolution at its next meeting. If adopted, staff will publish the application and the fee schedule and proceed with online payment integration.
