[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Leonia 12-11-2000 by Ord. No. 26-00 (Ch. 103 of the 1982 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
FILMING
The taking of still or motion pictures either on film or videotape or similar recording medium, for commercial or educational purposes intended for viewing on television, in theaters or for institutional uses. The provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed to include the “filming” of news stories within the Borough of Leonia.
MAJOR MOTION PICTURE
Any film which is financed and/or distributed by a major motion picture studio, including but not limited to the following:
A. 
Universal Pictures.
B. 
Warner Brothers, including New Line Cinema, Castle Rock Cinema and Turner Production Company.
C. 
Paramount.
D. 
20th Century Fox.
E. 
Columbia/Tri-Star.
F. 
Disney.
G. 
MGM-United Artists.
H. 
Any film for which the budget is at least $5,000,000.
PUBLIC LANDS
Any and every public street, highway, sidewalk, square, public park or playground or any other public place within the Borough which is within the jurisdiction and control of the Borough of Leonia.
[Amended 2-19-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-03; 4-7-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-07]
A. 
No person or organization shall film or permit filming on property, public or private, within the Borough of Leonia without first having obtained a permit from the office of the Borough Clerk, which permit shall set forth the approved location of such filming and the approved duration of such filming by specific reference to day or dates. Said permit must be readily available for inspection by Borough officials at all times at the site of the filming.
B. 
All permits shall be applied for and obtained from the office of the Borough Clerk during normal business hours. Applications for such permits shall be in a form approved by the Borough Clerk and shall be accompanied by a permit fee in the amount established in § 126-12 herein. Additional permits that may be required under the NJ Uniform Fire Code, NJ Uniform Construction Code or any other Borough department shall be applied for and issued by the respective department.
C. 
If a permit is issued and, due to inclement weather or other good cause, filming does not in fact take place on the dates specified, the Borough Clerk may, at the request of the applicant, issue a new permit for filming on other dates, subject to full compliance with all other provisions of this chapter. No additional fee shall be paid for this permit.
D. 
The issuance of a permit does not grant rights to any private property. The applicant for a permit shall be required to negotiate an agreement with the property owner.
[Amended 2-19-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-03; 4-7-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-07]
A. 
No permits will be issued by the Borough Clerk unless applied for prior to four days before the requested shooting date; provided, however, that the Borough Administrator may waive the four-day period if in his judgment the applicant has obtained all related approvals and adjacent property owners or tenants do not need to be notified.
B. 
No permit shall be issued for filming upon public lands unless the applicant shall provide the Borough with satisfactory proof of the following:
(1) 
Proof of insurance coverage naming the Borough as an additional insured, as follows:
(a) 
For bodily injury to any one person in the amount of $500,000 and any occurrence in the aggregate amount of $1,000,000.
(b) 
For property damage for each occurrence in the aggregate amount of $300,000.
(2) 
An agreement, in writing, whereby the applicant agrees to indemnify and save harmless the Borough of Leonia from any and all liability, expense, claim or damages resulting from the use of public lands.
(3) 
The posting of cash of $500 or a maintenance bond in the amount of $500 running in favor of the Borough and protecting and ensuring that the location utilized will be left after filming in a satisfactory condition, free of debris, rubbish and equipment, and that due observance of all Borough ordinances, laws and regulations will be followed. Within seven days of the completion of the filming, the Borough will return the bond if there has been no damage to public property or public expense caused by the filming.
(4) 
The hiring of an off-duty Leonia police officer for the times indicated on the permit.
(5) 
The hiring of Leonia Fire Prevention Bureau personnel or Leonia Fire Department personnel in accordance with Borough Code § 136-19 as deemed necessary by the Fire Marshal.
C. 
The holder of the permit shall take all reasonable steps to minimize interference with the free passage of pedestrians and traffic over public lands and shall comply with all lawful directives issued by the Leonia Police Department with respect thereto.
D. 
Upon issuance of the permit, a copy shall be forwarded by the Borough Clerk to the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission.
A. 
The holder of a permit shall conduct filming in such a manner as to minimize the inconvenience or discomfort to adjoining property owners attributable to such filming and shall, to the extent practicable, abate noise and park vehicles associated with such filming off the public streets.
B. 
The holder of a permit shall avoid any interference with previously scheduled activities upon public lands and limit, to the extent possible, any interference with normal public activity on such public lands. Where the applicant's production activity, by reason of location or otherwise, will directly involve and/or affect any businesses, merchants or residents, these parties shall be given written notice of the filming at least seven days prior to the requested shooting date and be informed that objections may be filed with the Borough Clerk, said objections to form a part of applicant's application and be considered in the review of the same. Proof of service of notification to adjacent owners shall be submitted to the Borough Clerk within five days of the requested shooting date.
Filming in residential zones shall be permitted Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 am. and 9:00 p.m. provided that all requests for night scenes shall be approved in the permit to be granted in accordance with § 126-8 hereof. The setup, production and breakdown required by all filming shall be included in the hours as set forth herein.
A. 
The Borough Administrator may refuse to issue a permit whenever he determines, on the basis of objective facts and after a review of the application and a report thereon by the Police Department and by other Borough agencies involved with the proposed filming site, that filming at the location and/or the time set forth in the application would violate any law or ordinance or would unreasonably interfere with the use and enjoyment of adjoining properties, unreasonably impede the free flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic or otherwise endanger the public's health, safety or welfare.
B. 
Further, the Borough reserves the right to require one or more on-site patrolmen in situations where the proposed production may impede the proper flow of traffic, the cost of said patrolman to be borne by the applicant as a cost of production. Where existing electrical power lines are to be utilized by the production, an on-site licensed electrician may be similarly required if the production company does not have a licensed electrician on staff.
A. 
Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Borough Administrator denying or revoking a permit or a person requesting relief pursuant to § 126-8 may appeal to the Borough Council. A written notice of appeal setting forth the reasons for the appeal shall be filed with the Administrator.
B. 
An appeal from the decision of the Administrator shall be filed within 10 days of the Administrator's decision. The Borough Council shall set the matter down for a hearing within 30 days of the day on which the notice of appeal was filed. The decision of the Borough Council shall be in the form of a resolution supporting the decision of the Borough Administrator at the first regularly scheduled public meeting of the Borough Council after the hearing on the appeal, unless the appellant agrees in writing to a later date for the decision.
[Amended 2-19-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-03]
The Borough Administrator may waive any restriction or provision of this chapter with the exception of regulations and permits required under the NJ Uniform Fire Code and/or the NJ Uniform Construction Code. In determining whether to permit a waiver of any restriction or provision of this chapter, the Administrator shall consider the following factors:
A. 
Traffic congestion at the location caused by vehicles to be parked on the public street.
B. 
Applicant's ability to remove film-related vehicles off the public streets.
C. 
When the applicant is requesting restrictions on the use of public streets or public parking during the course of the filming.
D. 
Nature of the film shoot itself, e.g., indoors or outdoors, day or night.
E. 
Prior experience of the film company/applicant with the Borough, if any.
Copies of the approved permit will be sent to the Police and Fire Departments before filming takes place and to the New Jersey Film Commission. The applicant shall permit the Fire Prevention Bureau or other Borough inspectors to inspect the site and the equipment to be used. The applicant shall comply with all safety instructions issued by the Fire Prevention Bureau or other Borough inspectors.
In addition to any other fees or costs mentioned in this chapter, the applicant shall reimburse the Borough for any lost revenue, such as parking meter revenue, repairs to public property or other revenues that the Borough was prevented from earning because of filming.
A. 
When filming is requested with respect to a major motion picture, the approved location of such filming and approved duration of such filming by specific reference to day or dates shall not exceed six days in duration.
B. 
Any days necessary to be used for setup and preparation for a major motion picture filming may, in the discretion of the Administrator, be counted as a filming day where such setup is anticipated to involve one or more of the factors set forth in § 126-8 hereof.
[Amended 2-19-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-03; 4-7-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-07]
The schedule of fees for the issuance of permits authorized by this chapter are as follows:
A. 
Basic filming permit: $75. Where an applicant requests a waiver of the provision of § 126-3A expedited processing of the permit application, the basic filming permit fee shall be $125.
B. 
Daily filming fee payable in addition to the basic filming permit:
(1) 
$150 for films with a budget of less than $20,000,000.
(2) 
$500 for films with a budget over $20,000,000.
Where the owner of the premises is not the applicant for a permit required by this chapter, both the owner and the applicant shall each be liable for violations hereof. Any person violating this chapter or these rules and regulations, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000 per day or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.