Tom Jacobson, a Bedford resident and frequent YMCA user, told the Bedford City Council during public comment that the YMCA is busier than many residents realize and urged the city to study facility capacity and gather user feedback.

"I promise I will use my 30 minutes carefully," Jacobson said as he described membership and attendance patterns. He told the council the YMCA has roughly 16,000 total members (with about a third senior members) and contrasted local usage with comparable private gyms, saying Bedford’s facility has higher membership and visit rates. "We should be proud of the YMCA," Jacobson added.

Jacobson said the Y functions as a community center rather than a standard gym, noting regular attendance by families with special-needs children and a hearing-impaired lifeguard who helps children. He suggested the city perform a facility benchmarking study, solicit feedback from active users, and assess capacity in gym areas where patrons sometimes wait.

City Manager Andrea Roy acknowledged the comments before council moved on to the consent agenda. No formal city action or funding decision was made during the meeting on Jacobson’s suggestions; they were raised as public comment for council and staff consideration.

The remarks were part of the meeting’s public-comment period and did not include a staff report or a council directive. Jacobson’s materials included comparative numbers and photos presented at the podium; he provided no formal motion or request for immediate funding during the meeting.