ATTRACTING HOLLYWOOD COUNCIL TO PASS ITS OWN FILM POLICY.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The City Council is poised to establish a film policy for Santa Clarita as part of its push to pump dollars into the local economy by increasing the number of location shoots.

The move could also be the first step toward Santa Clarita issuing its own film permits, which are now awarded by the scandal-plagued Entertainment Industry Development Corporation, officials said.

``This ordinance will help us strike a balance by attracting more filming to the city while making sure that the public isn't impacted,'' said Jason Crawford, director of the Santa Clarita Valley Film Office.

More than a year ago, the city officials took control of the film office from the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce and began an effort to increase the number of television shows, commercials and movies shot in Santa Clarita.

``This ordinance is long overdue,'' Crawford said. ``We want to be a film-friendly city, but we also want to protect our residents. If this ordinance passes, it will give us the basic framework to do just that.''

The ordinance is similar to those adopted by other cities and has been endorsed by the California Film Commission as ``film-friendly.''

Santa Clarita is one of the most popular film locations in Southern California, with the entertainment industry spending millions of dollars on location fees, wages, hotel costs, meals and supplies, according to Crawford.

Emmy-nominated ``CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,'' ``JAG,'' ``Power Rangers'' and ``Push, Nevada'' are currently based in the Santa Clarita Valley, officials said.

As part of the city's renewed focus on filming, officials are evaluating whether to break away from the EIDC, which was created seven years ago by Los Angeles officials to replace the city and county film agencies. Its stated goal was to stem runaway film and TV production.

``That's one of the things we're considering, while following what's happening closely,'' Crawford said. ``Our biggest concern is bringing more shoots to Santa Clarita, and how we can make the permitting process more friendly and efficient.

Last month, District Attorney Steve Cooley started a criminal probe of the EIDC's practice of giving thousands of dollars to many of its board members political campaigns and exorbitant expenses.

In addition, Los Angeles city and county leaders have called for the EIDC to be revamped after complaints that the agency was hindering, rather than encouraging, film production.

Santa Clarita is one of four cities in Los Angeles County that belong to the EIDC. The others are Los Angeles, Diamond Bar and Westlake Village.

The Santa Clarita City Council will consider the measure at its 6 p.m. meeting today, in City Hall's Council Chambers, 23920 Valencia Blvd.