Nassau legislature passes bill for 12-member film commission

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman can appoint 12 members to a revamped film, television, and media commission, under a bill the county legislature approved Monday night.

The official commission, to be added to the county's charter, aims to boost the number of film and television productions in Nassau County.

The legislature has authorized film commissions in the past. The most recent iteration of the commission expired in 2004, Nassau spokesman Chris Boyle said.

It took a year for the county's first film commission, announced by former Nassau County Executive Thomas Gulotta in 1996, to get going after delays in appointing commissioners.

Blakeman, a Republican, can appoint seven members of his own choosing. He can appoint another three members recommended by the legislative presiding officer, and two members recommended by the body's minority leader.

"The newly created film commission will be tasked with expanding our already vibrant film industry here in Nassau County with members serving as ambassadors to the industry," Blakeman said in a statement to Newsday.

Revenue from film permits has risen over the past several years. So far this year, Nassau has collected more than $200,000, Boyle said.

The county collected $310,825 in 2019, $679,425 in 2020, and $964,459 in 2021 and has estimated a total of $888,200 in permit revenues for 2022.

Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park), an original member of the county legislature, joked that he sponsored the first bill for the commission some "300 years ago."

While a Parks Department employee handles the permits, the commission will help the department, Nicolello said.

Nicolello said the commission will be able to "work with the current members of the Parks Department that handle the permitting … [and] be a focal point of contact to these industries to help bring more productions here; more immediate business to the county."

Also Monday, the legislature approved a bill requiring dealers of catalytic converters to better document the sale of such devices.

Catalytic converters are devices inside a vehicle's exhaust system that turn pollutants into less toxic emissions.

The devices, which contain precious metals, are often stolen, and the documentation requirement is an effort to more easily catch thieves.

Police often have a hard time determining the vehicles from which the catalytic converters are stolen because the devices are usually unmarked.

Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told legislators that thieves often steal 15 to 20 catalytic converters each night.

"We're getting killed with catalytic converters. It takes all of 5 minutes underneath the car. They cut it out," Ryder said.

"By getting the scrap yards to register these items and who brought them to us helps us develop leads so that we can eventually close out these cases," he said.

By Scott Eidler

scott.eidler@newsday.com@ScottEidler

Scott Eidler covers Nassau County government and politics for Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.