Local resident Kevin Smith drew applause, laughter and a few shocked faces at his language when he appeared virtually at last Thursday night’s meeting of the Mayor and Council to recommend Council not set high fees for film permits in the borough.
The ordinance had not been introduced yet when Councilman Jon Crowley asked that both Smith and another speaker be heard first during the first public comment session of the meeting “because they have been waiting an hour.”
Introduced by a majority vote later in the meeting, with only Councilman James Murphy dissenting, the ordinance will be advertised within ten days and have a public hearing at the May 25 meeting of the Mayor and Council.
But Smith, who gave his address as First Avenue over the theater he owns, assured the governing body he “could be help you raise funds at the theater” for the fire truck the borough is considering purchasing.
During an approximate seven-minute session which began with his greeting the governing body with “Hi, Kids,” a phrase he used a couple more times during his chat, Smith said the “issue of permits came up and it had come to his attention the borough was considering a permit that would cost $4,000 for a film maker to film in the borough.
Calling the issue “short-sighted,” the Highlands native explained he has “shot all over” and stressed his recommendation the permit fee be lower is “not self-serving” since he would pay whatever the borough sets. But he pointed out that such a high fee would have any film makers “go to Highlands or Sea Bright…” rather than stay in beautiful Atlantic Highlands.”
Rather, Smith pointed out to council, “the kids,” as he called them, should think of the additional people, both work crews for filmmaking and others the lower fees would draw into town to spend “their filthy lucre” in the restaurants, even the hardware store. “That’s where the real money comes in,” he said, adding that a $4,000 permit would send people away,” urging council to be “less short-sighted.”
The filmmaker admitted film crews mean bringing in “riff raff,” which he has worked with, but added “do what you will, Kids.”
During the first two minutes of Smith’s conversation before getting to “why we’re here,” Smith, who graduated from Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Henry Hudson Regional schools, told a story which ended with his telling his son “no f….king way” when talking about movie trends today. He traced the history of the Atlantic Highlands theater he purchased in September from former Mayor Fred Rast back more than 100 years, saying he though “we could chit chat” a bit before speaking about the yet to be introduced proposed code he was opposing.
Dillon Preston, a coordinator whose business is on Hennessey Blvd. also spoke during the public portion opposing the high permit fee and saying that would make Atlantic Highlands the most expensive place for filmmakers and recommended it not be set.
Crowley explained the proposed ordinance does not set a $4,000 fee, but rather a schedule of fees that would range from $100 a day for a basic TV, digital or motion picture film for a period no more than two consecutive weeks, to $500 a day for major motion pictures filming entirely on public property. There would be no fees for filming on private property. According to the ordinance which was introduced later in the meeting.
Murphy voted against the introduction, preferring to spend more time reviewing some of the information presented by Smith, Preston and others during the meeting.
