City Council

(11)\n25-1503\nECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JOBS COMMITTEE REPORT\nrelative to various Departments, with support from the Chief Legislative\nAnalyst (CLA), to develop and present within 60 days a Citywide\nSoundstage Certification and Fast-Track Infrastructure Program; and\nrelated matters.\nRecommendations for Council action, pursuant to Motion (Nazarian -\nPadilla):\n1. INSTRUCT the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power\n(LADWP), Department of Building and Safety (LADBS),\nDepartment of City Planning (DCP). Los Angeles Fire\nDepartment (LAFD), and the Board of Public Works (BPW), with\nsupport from the ChiefLegislative Analyst (CLA), to develop and\npresent within 60 days a Citywide Soundstage Certification and\nFast-Track Infrastructure Program, including but not limited to:\na. A standardized “Certified LA Stage” designation, with\nclear, published criteria related to:\n​\ni. Fire and life-safety standards.\nii. Access and circulation.\niii. Sound isolation.\niv. Power capacity and electrical safety.\nv. Parking, loading, and worker facilities.\nvi. Environmental and sustainability standards.\nvii. Alignment with union safety rules and industry\nnorms.\n​\nb. A time-certain plan check and inspection pathway,\nestablishing guaranteed maximum processing timelines\nfor:\n​\ni. New soundstage construction.\nii. Conversion of existing industrial or warehouse\nstructures.\niii. Expansion of active stages. Adaptive reuse of\ncommercial or manufacturing buildings.\nc. Creation of a “Stage Corridor Fast-Track Zone,” prioritizing\nkey industrial areas—such as the San Fernando Valley,\nWestside, Hollywood, South Los Angeles, the Harbor, and\nDowntown—for expedited permitting and review.\nd. A unified interdepartmental workflow ensuring LADBS,\nLAFD, DCP, LADWP, and Public Works coordinate\ninspections and approvals, with a single point of contact\nfor applicants.\ne. Public posting of all certification standards, timelines,\nchecklists, and required documentation on LADBS and\nFilmLA platforms to ensure full transparency and\npredictable expectations for stage operators.\nf. Recommendations on utility-readiness, including LADWP\npower-capacity upgrades and pre-approved infrastructure\noptions for large-scale stage operations.\n​\n2. INSTRUCT the CLA and BPW Film Liaison to report to Council\non opportunities to harmonize the Certified LA Stage program\nwith regional Councils of Government, including shared\nstandards and potential cross-jurisdictional stage corridors.\n3. DECLARE that for any production entity that receives any\nbenefit through any of the motions presented, that entity shall,\nas a condition of receiving said benefit, be obligated to\nparticipate in an Employer sponsored Health Insurance plan\nthat meets standards established in the Motion Picture and\nTelevision industry for each employee employed on any such\nproduction. Said Health Plan shall be portable for the employee\nin that the contributions made by the employer on behalf of the\nemployee shall be such a manner that the employee is enabled\nto carry said contribution from employer to employer.\nFiscal Impact Statement: Neither the City Administrative Officer nor\nthe Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this\nreport.