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Brentwood instructor warns of loss to seniors after fee plan; commission approves temporary $10 option and punch cards
Summary
After attendance plunged following a staff plan to charge for a long-running free chair‑yoga class, instructor Cheryl Rossman urged the commission to reverse or soften the change. The commission voted to refund those who already paid and to offer a temporary $10 option (five paid classes plus one free) with in‑house punch cards while staff pursues grants and sponsorships.
Cheryl Rossman, a Brentwood resident and longtime chair‑yoga instructor, told the Parks & Recreation Commission that a recent move to charge participants for a previously free program has sharply reduced attendance and threatened health and social benefits for seniors.
“Our class has been free to the community since its inception,” Rossman said, describing 12 years of work to build a class she said improves balance and mobility for people who otherwise have limited exercise options. She told commissioners attendance fell from about 22–25 participants in May to single digits in June after the fee structure was changed while she was away and communicated to participants without her input.
Commissioners and staff discussed short‑term and longer‑term options. Jason, recreation staff, proposed a punch‑card, drop‑in model that would allow flexibility for participants and instructors and reduce the need for large up‑front payments. Commissioners also raised grandfathering existing participants, couple discounts, and the possibility of scholarship funding or sponsorships. Several members noted many participants come from outside Brentwood and that funding decisions needed to balance local subsidy with regional demand.
Vice Chair Jim McIntyre acknowledged the difficulty for the instructor: “Some decisions were made when you weren't around and I kind of feel like that's not valuing what you've done through the years,” he said, urging the group to find a quick, fair solution.
After discussion the commission voted to refund participants who already paid under the earlier fee plan and to offer a temporary option: a $10 fee to cover the remaining six weeks of the current session (a punch card of five paid visits plus one free), produced in‑house and tracked by instructors. Commissioners said the arrangement is intended as an interim measure until a new recreation director is in place and can re‑examine program pricing and resident/nonresident policy. The commission committed to provide the instructor with an initial update by Friday.
Commissioners also directed staff to continue pursuing grants and sponsorships — including leads mentioned during the meeting — to subsidize programming for residents on limited incomes and to consider broader application of any punch‑card system across senior programs.
The commission noted that any longer‑term change to pricing and residency rules will be revisited once a full staffing picture is available and after further outreach to current participants.
