The Hall County Board of Commissioners continues to make progress in its first ever Motion Picture and Film Ordinance.
The second reading of the ordinance was discussed at Monday's work session. Some of the criticisms of the first reading was that it was too strict and might discourage filmmakers from coming to Hall County.
According to Commission Chairman Richard Higgins, the new draft of the ordinance is 'completely different.'
Commissioner Scott Gibbs added that 'it's really broad' and 'not even close' to the first draft.
The second draft will not be released to the public until Tuesday, one day before Wednesday's commission meeting, although Higgins said a vote on the ordinance would not take place at that time.
To help make the ordinance more inviting to filmmakers, the commission elicited the help of Stacey Dickson, president of the Lake Lanier Convention and Visitors Bureau, who has worked with placing films in Hall County for nearly the last decade.
Dickson published a report to the board of commissioners last week with a suggested resolution.
"A resolution instead of ordinance that's more general in its scope that allows for more leeway," Dickson said of her report.
Dickson looked at 26 different communities in the state to see what they were doing before drafting her report, and although Dickson says 'a lot of strides have been made,' there are still steps left in the process.
"The next step is the policy," Dickson said. "The procedure. How things are going to be approved. That kind of turnaround and the fees."
Fees was the other major concern, as some of the commissioners were worried that the original draft of the ordinance would price Hall County right out of the market.
