The Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission on Monday approved the Fresno Arts Counciland Cultural Arts subcommittee recommendations to distribute this years Expanded Access to Arts and Culture (EAAC) grant awards under Measure P, despite sustained public comment urging changes to the adjudication process and to the distribution of funds.

The recommendations were presented by Lilia Gonzales Chavez, executive director of the Fresno Arts Council, who described the outreach and adjudication process that produced the list of recommended grantees. Gonzales Chavez said the grant cycle began with 277 letters of intent, 269 eligible applicants, and a review process that recruited 42 panelist volunteers of whom 32 served. She said the PRAC subcommittee is recommending funding for 134 organizations and projects and that roughly $6.3 million is slated for distribution in this grant cycle; she also reported that applicants requested about $16,140,816.31 in total. Commissioners then voted to approve the recommendations by motion for each funding category.

Why it matters: dozens of applicants, small arts groups and community organizers said delays and perceived flaws in the panel review process threaten organizations ability to deliver programs that rely on Measure P dollars. Many speakers urged PRAC to release funds immediately while also committing to reforms so future cycles better reach emerging artists and underserved neighborhoods.

Public concern focused on three main issues: whether panel reviews were impartial and accessible, whether recordings and notes from panel sessions should be made public, and whether the allocation among funding categories disadvantaged smaller, emerging projects. Multiple commenters, including Hugo Morales of Radio Bilingue and Amy Kitchener of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, urged the commission to move additional money into the pool for the emerging project-support category. Morales and Kitchener proposed funding applications that scored in the range at 30% of their request as a way to raise the percent funded in that category closer to other categories; they said doing so would require an additional roughly $442,577.

Several panelists and applicants described the review sessions as opaque and inconsistent. Panelists who spoke at the meeting said they were prevented from recording during deliberations; FAC staff said internal recordings were made for note-checking but were not of public quality. Some public speakers alleged inappropriate comments or influence by FAC staff during panel review; those speakers called for independent review, better training for panelists on cultural competency and budgeting, and clearer rubrics that tie scoring to the Cultural Arts Plan.

Supporters of the recommendations also spoke. Multiple established organizations and long-running community arts groups, including Arte Amricas, the Fresno Art Museum and the Fresno City and County Historical Society, asked PRAC to approve the awards so grantees can begin work this season. Ariana Paz Chavez, executive director of Arte Amricas, said her organization was recommended to receive 60% of its request and described urgent needs such as elevator maintenance and staffing to keep programs accessible and safe.

Commission action and process details: PRAC approved motions to accept the Fresno Arts Councils recommendations for (1) EAAC emerging organizations general operating support, (2) EAAC emerging organization project-specific support, (3) EAAC general operating support and (4) EAAC project-specific support. Commission Chair McCoy and commissioners made and seconded the motions at the dais; several commissioners later recused themselves from specific votes when a potential conflict was disclosed. Commissioners approved each motion by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the public proceeding.

Next steps: Commissioners and staff said they will convene additional public meetings and use community feedback to revise the EAAC guidelines for the next grant cycle. Several speakers insisted that any reforms include compensating and training panelists, stronger conflict-of-interest safeguards, and clearer timelines for awards and disbursement so grantees have sufficient time to complete projects.

Ending: After more than two hours of public comment, PRAC moved forward with the Fresno Arts Councils funding recommendations while accepting that rules and practices will need revision; multiple community members said they will continue pressing for transparency and for a larger share of planning resources aimed at emerging artists and historically underserved neighborhoods.