You Want To Film Here . . . Sure, Why Not?

These days, even Community Boards are tripping over themselves to suck up to location scouts:

The boards, which each have about 3 paid workers and 50 volunteer members, constitute the city’s most local form of government, serving from 35,000 to 200,000 people apiece. While they wield little direct power, the boards have a wide range of advisory responsibilities, like reviewing applications for liquor licenses and soliciting public comment on major public and private projects.

Now the boards are bracing for cuts that many of their leaders say would seriously hamper their ability to function. Although the city pays for rent and utilities, last year each board had nearly $200,000 to pay for all other expenses, including salaries, phones, office supplies, equipment and technical services. Except for the sum available for salaries, which is set apart, board officials contend that their allocation has not been increased in about 15 years.

In the past two months, the mayor’s office asked each board to plan $9,995 to $15,690 in cuts that, if approved by the City Council, would take effect July 1.

. . .

Some boards are already raising money privately, and the budget cuts may force more boards to do so. In October, Board 3, which covers the Lower East Side, earned $1,500 for renting its offices to “Law & Order” for the overnight filming of a scene set in a community newspaper office. Susan Stetzer, the district manager, said a spinoff of the show had scouted her office for a scene set in a city agency, “but we were too old and decrepit-looking.”