Meeting
After an approximate hour-long public hearing in which several people urged that final action be held for another meeting, the governing body approved the ordinance which sets rules, regulations and fees to the borough for film and television producers wanting to use municipal streets, parks, harbor and other locations for filming.
For a scant minute, it looked like the governing body would delay final action on the ordinance and weigh some of the points residents brought up at the meeting. Councilman James Murphy had indicated at the beginning of the public hearing he still had questions and concerns and did not think the ordinance should go further. His opinions were reiterated by several speakers during the meeting.
When at the end of the public hearing, Murphy made a motion to delay the final vote, his motion was seconded by Councilwoman Eileen Cusick who also said she wanted to delay final action because “clearly the community is concerned.”
However, that motion failed to get a majority vote, and the motion to approve the controversial ordinance and make it into law was approved.
1st Abstention
Despite her earlier second of the motion to delay, Councilwoman Cusick voted for approval. Also voting with her were Councilwoman Lori Hohenleitner, Brian Dougherty and Vito Colasurdo. Councilman Jon Crowley who had led most of the support for the ordinance and provided information from personal experience to encourage adoption of it, abstained.
No Abstention
Had Mrs. Cusick also abstained following her early action when she wanted it delayed because of apparent community concern, the three votes in favor, Hohenleitner, Colasurdo and Dougherty, would not have been enough to have the ordinance passed. Ms. Hohenleitner said she was “struggling with the issue” moving forward when she voted for it.
The councilwoman said after the meeting she voted in favor of it since she felt it was better to have the ordinance in place rather than have no regulation, and amendments could be made in the future.
Crowley did not give his reason for abstaining.
2nd Abstention
On the issue of school regionalization brought up during the public portion at the end of the meeting, when Crowley was asked his reason for abstaining from voting on the school regionalization issue unanimously approved by the three affected boroughs to put it on the ballot, borough attorney Margaret Schaffer advised that the council members do not have to give their reasons for their vote on any issue. She explained Crowley could cite his reason if he chose, but under the law, he nor any other council member would not have to explain their vote to the citizenry.
The film ordinance, which appears in full on the borough’s official page, requires special event permits be obtained through the Special Events six-member committee, and mandates the film maker provide insurance, minimize impact on adjacent property owners and establishments procedures for appeals, waivers, and fee schedules. It also exempts from the ordinance private parties, student films, instant news coverage by newspaper and other media, and realty TV under certain specifications.
