TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Jonathan Serret, Cultural and Community Services Director DATE:March 24, 2026
SUBJECT: Film Permit Ordinance and Related Fees
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Read ordinance in title only, further reading be waived, and if no objection, introduce ordinance to repeal and replace Title 4, Chapter 8, Film Permits, of the Thousand Oaks Municipal Code (TOMC).
2. Adopt resolution approving and adopting film permit fees pursuant to TOMC Section 4-8.06.
3. Approve budget appropriation for FY 2026-27 in the amount of $66,800 from A/C #001-0000-311-1000 (General Fund – Fund Balance) as follows: $6,800 to A/C #001-0970-646-6210 (General Fund - Software Licenses) and $60,000 to A/C #001-0970-646-1210 (General Fund - Temp/Hourly Pay).
4. Authorize expenditure in FY 2026-27 in the amount of $66,800 as follows:
$6,800 from A/C #001-0970-646-6210 (General Fund - Software Licenses) for annual software maintenance costs for permitting software and $60,000 from A/C #001-0970-646-1210 (General Fund - Temp/Hourly Pay) for hourly staff to process permits.
4. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
$66,800 Increase to Adopted FY 2026-27 General Fund Budget. A $66,800 increase to the Adopted FY 2026-27 General Fund Budget is requested to support the processing of film and special event permits. This amount includes $6,800 for annual software maintenance fees and $60,000 in temporary/hourly staffing to hire up to two part-time employees to process permit applications. This increase is offset by revenue collected from film permit and special event permit fees.
Film Permit Ordinance and Related Fees
March 24, 2026
BACKGROUND:
The City’s film ordinance was first adopted in 1997 (Ordinance No. 1309-NS). Prior to this adoption, there were no formal regulations governing filming in the City, except when City streets or property were used. Residential filming had begun causing disturbances for nearby residents, prompting the establishment of regulations intended to manage filming activity and discourage disruptive residential filming. The ordinance was later amended in 2009 (Ordinance No. 1525-NS) to ease certain regulations while maintaining most of the existing framework.
Filming contributes to the local economy through location expenses such as lodging, catering, location rental fees, transportation, local labor, and production services. Additionally, more than 3,500 entertainment industry workers and professionals reside in Ventura County. The level of local economic impact varies depending on the type and scale of production. The attached publication (Attachment #1) from the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) identifies the potential economic impact generated per filming day. A publication from the Economic Development Collaborative (Attachment #2) documents the economic impact on Ventura County from filming since 2019. At its peak in 2022, the economic impact exceeded $90 million.
Thousand Oaks is a desirable location for filming. Although film production has increasingly moved out of California in recent years, the State of California has implemented production tax credit programs to encourage filming within the state.
Approximately half of the City lies within the thirty-mile zone (TMZ), allowing productions filming in this area to be treated as local filming, which reduces labor costs. The remaining portion of the City falls within a secondary zone that is often treated similarly to the TMZ, and productions outside of the TMZ may qualify for additional tax incentives. Combined with a versatile and picturesque landscape, these factors make Thousand Oaks an attractive location for filming.
In July 2025, film permit administration was transferred from the Community Development Department (CDD) to the Cultural and Community Services Department (CCS). This transition allowed CDD to focus on core development services while enabling CCS to evaluate filming operations from a broader community and cultural perspective. Through the transition process, staff identified opportunities to modernize the City’s film ordinance. The existing ordinance was developed for an industry environment that no longer reflects current filming practices, technology, or community expectations. Over the past several years, staff has received requests ranging from small two-person shoots to large multi- day productions, highlighting that the existing regulations are overly rigid for small productions while lacking sufficient flexibility to address the operational needs of larger productions.
Film Permit Ordinance and Related Fees
March 24, 2026
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
During internal review sessions, including meetings with a cross-department filming ordinance working group, staff identified several areas for improvement to the current ordinance and a shared goal of establishing a regulatory framework that is:
Flexible, allowing adjustments without returning to City Council for minor regulatory changes;
Clear and enforceable, supporting City operations such as Code Compliance, Public Works, and Thousand Oaks Police Department, as well as partner agencies like Ventura County Fire Department; and Protective of neighborhoods while recognizing the economic and cultural value of filming.
The proposed ordinance (Attachment #3) addresses these goals and incorporates industry best practices developed in consultation with regional film liaisons, including the Ventura County Film Commission and the California Film Commission. Staff also consulted the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce for feedback.
Purpose of the New Ordinance
The proposed ordinance establishes a modern regulatory framework intended to:
Protect residents, businesses, and public property;
Minimize disruption to the community;
Ensure transparency, safety, and accountability; and
Support a film-friendly environment aligned with California Film Commission standards.
The proposed ordinance replaces rigid neighborhood consent requirements with a professionalized, impact-based permitting process, allowing the film liaison to evaluate filming activities based on operational impacts and defined thresholds.
Key Changes from Existing Code
Modernized Definitions and Scope
The proposed ordinance introduces updated terminology to reflect modern production practices, including digital content creation, drone activity, and special effects.
Film Permit Ordinance and Related Fees
March 24, 2026
Administrative Rules Authorized by Policy, Not Ordinance Operational procedures, including neighborhood notifications, parking controls, traffic management, coordination with law enforcement and fire services, special effects, and aerial activity, will be established through an administrative policy adopted by the City Manager. This approach allows operational procedures to be updated more efficiently as industry practices and technologies evolve. A sample policy (Attachment #4) has been included. If the ordinance is adopted, the City Manager will finalize and approve administrative policy prior to implementation.
Streamlined, Impact-Based Permit Review
Under the proposed framework, the Film Liaison will evaluate the permit applications based on specific operational details, including production activities, equipment, traffic impacts, staging, hours of operation, special effects, drone use, on-site supervision, and other production elements. The administrative policy will establish general guidelines for these elements while allowing adjustments when warranted. For example, standard insurance requirements will apply to most productions; however, additional coverage may be required for productions involving higher-risk activities in consultation with the City’s Risk Manager.
Elimination of Mandatory Neighborhood Consent Thresholds Previous ordinances relied on strict neighborhood signature requirements. The proposed ordinance replaces these requirements with flexible notification and mitigation procedures consistent with industry practices. These tools allow staff to address community concerns through tailored mitigation measures, and when appropriate, survey tools.
User Fees
Permit processing fees are collected to recover costs associated with staff time, equipment, and administrative resources. Staff evaluated the time required to process applications and incorporated associated software costs to develop the proposed user fee schedule (Attachment #5). The proposed user fee schedule establishes activity-based fees that apply only when the specific filming activities are part of a production, and the resolution also amends the City’s existing fee schedule. Staff compared the proposed fees with those of neighboring cities and determined that the overall cost structure is consistent with others within Ventura County. Additionally, the fee schedule maintains rental fees for use of City property, which remains largely unchanged from the existing fee schedule. One fee is proposed for the use of vacant City-owned property that may be used for staging or parking.
Film Permit Ordinance and Related Fees
March 24, 2026
Fees proposed to be removed:
Fee Name Unit Fee Fee Type
Film Permit
Administrative Processing Fees – Plus time and materials of City working event
Still Photography Per Day $204 Filming Fees
Motion Picture Per Day $475 Filming Fees
Long-term filming (more than 10
“location filming” days) Base $895 Filming Fees
Each 5 filming days thereafter
(including partial weeks)
Each Add’l 5
Days After $215 Filming Fees
Expedite fee Each $5,000 Filming Fees
Fees proposed to be changed or added:
Fee Name Unit Fee Fee Type
Film Permit
Administrative Processing Fees – Plus time and materials of City staff working event
Photography Base Permit (up to
10 days) Each Permit $187 User Fee
Motion Picture Base Permit
(Up to 10 days) Each Permit $450 User Fee
Additional Locations Per Location $225 User Fee
Traffic Review (As Required) Per Location $240 User Fee Rider (For changes made after
application)
Per change
request $225 User Fee
Film Monitor (As Required) Per hour $200 User Fee
Use of Unimproved City-owned
Property for Staging/Parking/
Base Camp
Per day $400 Rental Fee
Fees that will remain unchanged:
Fee Name Unit Fee Fee Type
Film Permit
City Buildings/Property (excluding the Civic Arts Plaza) For-Profit Per Day $2,000 Rental Fee
Non-Profit Per Day $1,600 Rental Fee
Use of Public Streets for Filming (excluding legal parking) For-Profit Per Day $1,000 Rental Fee
Non-Profit Per Day $600 Rental Fee
Use of City Parking Facilities (excluding the Civic Arts Plaza) Car or standard truck Per Day $8 Rental Fee
Semi-tractor trailers Per Day $24 Rental Fee
Bona-fide student as defined in
the Municipal Code Each $0 Rental Fee
Film Permit Ordinance and Related Fees
March 24, 2026
Software
Film permits are currently processed through the existing Tyler EPL permitting system, which is primarily designed for Building, Planning, and Public Works permits. The workflow and approvals do not provide the flexibility needed for film permitting. Staff identified an opportunity to utilize the City’s existing Business Licensing software by adding a module to manage both film and special event permits. Funding was available in the current budget to implement the module; however, ongoing annual maintenance costs will be required. Therefore, staff requests a $6,800 increase to the Adopted FY 2026-27 General Fund Budget to fund the ongoing software maintenance fees.
Staffing
The Deputy Cultural and Community Services Director and the Library Office Manager have been processing film permits on an interim basis following the transfer of the program to the CCS Department. This arrangement allowed staff to assess the existing process, identify operational needs, and assess the level of service required to effectively support filming activities within the City. Film permitting requires significant coordination and customer service. Staff must review applications, coordinate with multiple departments and outside agencies, communicate with production companies, respond to resident inquiries, and monitor compliance with permit conditions. Filming activities often require timely responses due to tight production schedules, and production companies expect clear communication and efficient processing to keep filming within the City. Based on the expected workload and the importance of providing responsive customer service to both residents and the film industry, staff recommend funding for up to two part-time hourly employees to assist with application intake, permit processing, applicant communication, and coordination with City departments and partner agencies. These positions will help ensure that permit requests are processed efficiently while maintaining appropriate oversight and community protection. Staff recommend increasing the Adopted FY 2026-27 General Fund Budget by $60,000 to hire up to two part-time employees to process film and special event permits.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
B. Provide municipal government leadership which is open and responsive to residents, and is characterized by ethical behavior, stability, promoting public trust, transparency, confidence in the future, and cooperative interaction among civic leaders, residents, business representatives, and staff, while recognizing and respecting legitimate differences of opinion on critical issues facing the City.
Film Permit Ordinance and Related Fees
March 24, 2026
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
G. Continue City's commitment to community and cultural programs and services (such as Performing Arts/Theatres, Libraries, TOTV, Visual Arts, Youth and Senior Programs).
PREPARED BY: Melissa Hurtado, Deputy Cultural and Community Services Director
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – AFCI Financial Impact
Attachment #2 – VC Film Financial Impact
Attachment #3 – Film Permit Ordinance
Attachment #4 – Sample Film Policy
Attachment #5 – Fee Resolution
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