WHEREAS, the City of Venice and the County of Sarasota entered into an interlocal agreement to make available recreation programs and activities for their citizens;
WHEREAS, Elin Larsen has donated her time to facilitate group yoga exercises at the Venice Public Beach for the residents of Venice, their families and friends, and other visitors to the City of Venice since 2007;
WHEREAS, hundreds of Venice residents and visitors to the City of Venice participate in such activities on a weekly basis;
WHEREAS, such activities also benefit the City of Venice, it's merchants and other businesses by attracting new residents and visitors to the City-- residents and visitors that purchase goods and services from the merchants and other business of Venice;
WHEREAS, Elin facilitates such group exercises without charging or requesting any payment of participants in such group exercises; and
WHEREAS, the County has asked Elin to execute a contract with the County,the terms of which would require the payment of thousands of dollars in user fees thereby ending FREE yoga, maintenance of attendance lists and demographic information on participants discouraging the participation of hundreds of Venice residents and visitors, and movement of the exercises toa location that is inconvenient for all participants impractical for hundreds of elderly participants and;
NOW THEREFORE, the undersigned respectfully request that the Venice City Council create a citizen task force, as encouraged by provision 11.3 of the Interlocal Agreement, or take such other action as is appropriate, including exercising its authority under Section 7 of the Agreement if necessary, to assure that such a group yoga exercises are allowed to continue in a manner that takes into account the benefits of such activity to the residents of Venice, its visitors,the City, and its merchants and other businesses.
