Artists and residents press PRAC on Measure P grants, allege bias and Brown Act concerns

Dozens of artists, fiscal sponsors and community groups urged the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission (PRAC) to pause or revisit recommendations for the Expanded Access to Arts and Cultural (EAAC) grant program on the grounds of transparency, equity and potential Brown Act violations.

At the commission meeting, community members said the Fresno Arts Council’s administration of Measure P arts funds created an uneven process that favored established organizations and left emerging projects with insufficient awards. “When scoring makes a difference between a 3.9 and a 4, deciding who gets funded or not, that bias matters,” said Omay Lopez, who said she had been involved with Measure P ballot outreach and later observed review sessions. Lopez told commissioners applicants had been notified of panel sessions only two hours before some reviews and in some cases were not informed they could attend.

Why it matters: EAAC distributes Measure P dollars intended to expand arts access across Fresno. Speakers said the distribution method and panel procedures will affect which neighborhoods and artists receive multi‑year funding across a 30‑year Measure P ordinance.

Multiple speakers described similar problems. Johannes Reinders, who attended panel sessions as an observer, read back notes he said he had taken in different review meetings and described inconsistent reviewer comments and what he called undisclosed staff input into scoring. Christina Soto, a review‑panelist this year, said she witnessed Fresno Arts Council staff offering opinions beyond the written applications and that the staff input sometimes advantaged or disadvantaged applicants.

Fiscal sponsor representatives emphasized sustainability concerns. Cassandra Herman, program director for Arts Enrichment for All, asked how intent‑to‑award tiers of “30/60%” (as described by speakers) would support projects that require facilities or rentals. Chanticleer Shakespeare Company executive director Brandon Weiss thanked panelists for recommending his group but said inconsistent access to panel reviews created “an uneven playing field” and called 30% awards insufficient to sustain many projects.

Policy and legal concerns: Several speakers urged PRAC to treat the arts subcommittee as a standing committee subject to the Brown Act and asked for the city attorney’s analysis. Amy Kitchener, executive director of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, said PRAC’s arts subcommittee has functioned consistently across grant cycles and should meet the legal standard for a standing committee. Omay Lopez and others warned that previous litigation alleging Brown Act violations in budget processes increased the risk to the city if the EAAC process remained opaque.

Numbers cited by speakers: community witnesses and fiscal sponsors reported that fiscal sponsors helped more than 90 applicants; over 70 applicants submitted letters of intent (LOIs); more than 30 advanced to final review and at least 17 were recommended for funding in this cycle. Amy Kitchener told the commission the adopted funding structure allocated about 82% of funds to established organizations and 18% to emerging organizations; she said 114 eligible applicants applied in the emerging category and roughly 54% were recommended for funding versus success rates of 86–96% for established organizations (figures cited to illustrate commenters’ concerns).

Commission response and council action noted: Commissioners asked staff for documents and emphasized the need for clear, written procedures. Commissioners also noted that the City Council separately approved a $75,000 general‑fund appropriation to the Fresno Arts Council for outreach and administration of the arts and culture fund; staff said that motion was adopted by council earlier and the funds remained in the FY26 budget.

Requests from the public: Commenters asked PRAC to (a) publish reviewer rubrics and individual scores to applicants; (b) expand public access to subcommittee meetings and recorded review sessions; (c) consider independent third‑party moderation or an outside consultant to audit the process; (d) create an independent oversight body to track distribution by ZIP code, discipline and organizational size; and (e) provide the city attorney’s rationale for treating the subcommittee as ad hoc rather than standing.

What the record shows: At the meeting PRAC did not vote to change EAAC recommendations or to reverse any grant decisions; the hearing was for public input. Commissioners invited written suggestions and asked staff to supply data PRAC had previously requested, including a breakdown of grant awards by ZIP code and district that staff said already exists.

Looking ahead: Commissioners said they would accept written recommendations quickly if community members wanted PRAC to consider procedural changes before the next scheduled meeting and noted the timeline to place any new policies on an upcoming agenda was short.

Ending: Community members urged PRAC to adopt safeguards so Measure P funds meet the stated goal of expanding equitable access across Fresno, and several asked the commission to ensure public trust by making review processes and scoring more transparent.