Austin city leaders have backed away from a recommendation from the city's parks and recreation department regarding charging physical fitness trainers an annual fee to use public places for their classes.

The council was considering charging fitness trainers a $500 annual fee to use public areas, but Stuart Strong, the director of the City of Austin's Parks and Recreation Department, says the issue has been dropped, at least for now.

"The only issue we want is that people are out doing their training classes that they be respectful of the other users of the park just don't occupy all the space, just share the park, that's all we ask," said Strong.

The decision came as a big surprise to Cody Butler, a physical fitness trainer who uses public parks for his bootcamps several times a week.

Butler says he was told a few days ago by several parks and recreation employees that he and other trainers were not allowed to use any public areas to hold their fitness classes.

"If I were to go out into the public parks, I would be asked to leave, if  I was seen by Parks Police and if I didn't leave then I would be issued a citation," he said

Apparently not all of the employees at the parks and recreation department got the word about the council tabling the issue until futher notice.

"That's good to know that information. Now I can feel as a trainer leading large groups that I'm secure in public parks," said Butler.

Of the countless people who use Austin's public parks everyday, the folks we talked to, say they didn't have a problem with fitness trainers holding their classes in parks.  Most park users say there's room for everyone.

"I dont' really have a problem with it as long as they dont' take advantage of a large area of space and are respectful of the general public, it's not really a hinderance to me because I see it as a public park," said John Bloodworth, who uses Auditorium Shores several times a week to run his dog.

"It's fine with me, it's a public park, it's big enough for everybody it's not as if they're playing college football out here or anything," said Alma Fellows, a dog owner who uses Auditorium Shores almost everyday.

The issue of charging fitness trainers who use park space could resurface late next summer when the Austin City Council goes over its next budget.