Township of Chatham, NJ Filming

The taking of still or motion pictures, either on film, videotape, digital or similar recording medium, for commercial or educational purposes intended for viewing on video receivers, television, in theaters, the Internet or for institutional use.

PRIVATE LANDS

Any other land not defined as public lands which is within the municipal borders of Chatham Township.

PUBLIC LANDS

Any and every public street, highway, sidewalk, square, public right-of-way, public park or playground, public building and property or other public place within the Township of Chatham which is within the jurisdiction and control of Chatham Township.

§ 8-1.2 Permits.

[Added 12-13-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-13]

No person shall film or permit filming within Chatham Township without first obtaining a permit therefor, which permit shall set forth the location of such filming, time and the date or dates when the filming shall take place. A permit application shall be filed at 30 days' prior to the first date that filming is to take place.

Permits shall be obtained in the office of the Chatham Township Clerk during normal business hours and applications for such permits shall be in a form approved by the Township Clerk.

If a permit is issued and, due to inclement weather or other good cause beyond the applicant's control, filming does not in fact take place on the dates specified, the Township 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 section. No additional fee shall be required for said permit.

The permit is not transferable.

§ 8-1.3 Rules and Regulations.

[Added 12-13-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-13]

No permit shall be issued for filming upon public or private lands within Chatham Township unless the applicant for such permit:

Provides proof of insurance coverage for bodily injury for any one person in the amount of $1,000,000 and for any aggregate occurrence in the amount of $3,000,000. Chatham Township shall be named as an additional insured on the policy and a Certificate of Insurance shall be delivered to the Township at the time that the application is filed.

Agrees in writing to indemnify and save harmless Chatham Township from any and all liability or damages resulting from the use of such public lands.

Provides proof of service of written notification of proposed dates and locations to be used for production activities to all property owners who will be directly affected by the filming and site location(s).

The holder of a permit shall take all reasonable steps to minimize interference with the free passage of pedestrians and traffic over public lands and shall comply with lawful directives issued by the Chatham Township Police Department with respect thereto. When, in the judgment of the Chief of Police, or his/her designee, the presence of additional security in the form of police, fire, or code enforcement personnel are required in connection with the filming, the applicant shall reimburse the Township for the cost of such personnel.

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.

The holder of a permit shall take all reasonable steps to minimize the creation and spread of debris and rubbish during filming and shall be responsible for removing all equipment, debris and other rubbish from the filming location upon the completion of filming.

The Township Clerk may refuse to issue a permit whenever they determine, on the basis of objective facts and after a review of the application and a report thereon by the Police Department and other Township agencies, that filming at the location and/or 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.

In addition to any other fees or costs associated with this ordinance, the applicant shall reimburse the Township for any lost revenue or repairs to public property.

In addition to any other fees or costs associated with this ordinance, the applicant shall compensate the Township for the use of any on-street or off-street parking spaces used for purposes of the production. The applicant is responsible for arranging and coordinating said parking agreement with the Township Administrator.

§ 8-1.4 Fees.

[Added 12-13-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-13]

The schedule of fees for the issuance of permits authorized by this section are as follows:

Application fee: $200.

Filming fee: $100 per day.

Expedited processing fee (applies to any application filed less than 30 days prior to production or requires processing in 14 days or less): $500 application fee, plus $200/day filming fee.

Application amendment fee (applies to each amendment to an approved application): $250.

§ 8-1.5 Exemptions.

[Added 12-13-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-13]

The provisions of this section shall not apply to the filming of news stories within Chatham Township.

Filming performed by one individual using a hand-held camera without assistance from others shall be exempt from this section.

Fees may be waived for students enrolled in a bona fide educational institution and nonprofit corporations located in Chatham Township upon receipt by the Township Clerk of written certification from a teacher or administrator of that institution and proof of nonprofit corporate status stating that the filming is for educational purposes only and not intended for commercial use.

Fees may be waived for feature films with a total budget of up to or less than $100,000 and episodic shows with a total budget of up to or less than $25,000 for the episode.