FYI Miami: June 16, 2022

Below are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here.

EASING FILM PERMITTING: Miami-Dade County would continue to handle film permitting for the City of North Miami for at least five more years under a proposed agreement that is headed to county commissioners. This is one of 14 agreements that the county has with municipalities under which the county can permit production companies to use backdrops of various areas in the county with a single permit, removing obstacles to production here. “This service is an effective enticement to attract film, television and still photography shoots to this community,” says a memo from county Chief Operations Manager Jimmy Morales that accompanies the legislation, which last week won a favorable recommendation from the Airports and Economic Development Committee. Under the agreement, the production company pays the county’s Office of Film and Entertainment $125 per permit processed on behalf of the city.

FUNDING FOR FILM: “Love on the Reef,” a made-for-television movie that is to film for 13 days in Miami-Dade, is being recommended for a $50,000 county film incentive payment to local production company Brand New Movies LLC. The county’s Airport and Economic Development Committee last week recommended the legislation, sponsored by Commissioner Sally Heyman, for commission approval. To receive the grant, the project must spend $500,000 in the county, 70% of the hired personnel must be from Miami-Dade and 70% of vendor businesses must be registered with the county. The company says it expects to hire 20 county residents for the shooting. The film is listed as a romantic comedy licensed for distribution through the Lifetime and Hallmark networks. Legislation says “it is the story of a marine biologist who falls in love with a dive instructor while exploring a coral reef in Florida.” 

COUNTY CRIMES RISE: Violent crimes in Miami-Dade areas patrolled by the county police force were up more than 29% in the first four months of this year and non-violent crimes were up nearly 15%, a new county report shows. Rape reports rose nearly 32% from the first four months of 2021, robberies more than 62%, aggravated assaults more than 27%. burglaries 59%, shoplifting nearly 26% and auto theft more than 30%. On the positive side, homicides were down more than 43%, from 39 in the first four months of last year to 22 this year. Pocket picking reports were also down, from 15 to 5. And, in those four months, there were no reports at all of shoplifting among the 10,856 serious crimes reported. The figures cover only areas where municipal police are not patrolling – they file their own crime reports.