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Council debates policy questions for proposed recurring “Yoga on the Green” events
Summary
A council member proposed a free, donation-friendly recurring Yoga on the Green series; council discussed whether parks programming or a special-events policy should govern recurring use of the town green, liability waivers and whether council funding or sponsorship would require an open, non-discriminatory process.
A council member proposed a recurring, free Yoga on the Green program to run April through August on the town green and asked for council guidance on how to proceed.
The proposer said the intention was to offer two sessions monthly (second and fourth Sundays at 6:30 p.m.), open to the public with optional donations and participant waivers. "The green is public. So me, you and everybody in this room could actually go and throw a blanket and start asking," a council member said while noting that the question before the council was how to administer recurring, city-promoted programming so it does not conflict with existing events or appear to favor one provider.
Council members and staff discussed whether the downtown development authority or parks and recreation should manage the program, whether the city’s existing special-events policy covers recurring programming, the need for liability waivers and how use of city power or donated funds could create perception or legal issues if a council member sponsors an instructor. Several members urged using the parks-and-recreation application process (similar to pavilion or field rentals) or drafting a simple memorandum of record or policy to set dates and manage concurrent uses.
Staff said many parks-and-recreation programs are fee-supported and cautioned that declaring a city-sponsored free program raises questions about equity and selection of providers; council members suggested exploring a county collaboration or funding models used by neighboring jurisdictions. The matter was sent to staff and parks leadership for follow-up and to draft recommended policy language or an administrative procedure.
