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Parks staff say 129 Cycle 2 EAC awards remain to be contracted; commissioners press for faster payments and clearer communication
Summary
Parks staff told commissioners that 129 Cycle 2 EAC awards require contracting or final payments (32 had received no funds; 97 received 90% and are owed 10%); staff said they will contact grantees within 30 days, add three permanent positions to manage grants, and release Cycle 3 guidelines with a June 30, 2026 notice of funding opportunity deadline.
Parks Department staff reported progress and outstanding issues in administering the Expanded Access to Arts and Culture (EAC) grant program, promising to contact Cycle 2 grantees and to stand up technical assistance while moving toward a June 30, 2026 Cycle 3 notice of funding opportunity.
Assistant Director Shelby McNab told commissioners the City Council recently authorized three permanent Parks Department positions to support grant administration and that the city has begun building a grant portal and secure SharePoint folders for grantee documents. "We are working nights and weekends," Shelby McNab said when commissioners pressed for speed on processing outstanding payments.
Scope and status: When the commission approved Cycle 2 awards there were 134 recommended applications; five organizations declined awards, leaving 129 awards to process. McNab said staff anticipate 32 organizations have received no funding and 97 received 90% and are owed the final 10% upon project completion. She said final agreements are in the last round of legal and risk review and staff will email grantees with next steps and SharePoint access within 30 days.
Commissioner concerns and public comments: Commissioners and public commenters expressed frustration at the pace of payments and at uneven communication from staff. One public commenter, an EAC awardee, said she had been cut off during unscheduled comment earlier in the meeting; the chair apologized on the record and explained that hearing-specific comments are taken during the scheduled hearing period.
Operational steps: Staff will (1) send individualized emails with SharePoint links and agreements to Cycle 2 grantees, (2) offer in-person and virtual technical-assistance sessions, and (3) keep Cycle 3 guidelines open for public comment (draft open April 16–30 per the presentation) with community listening sessions in central, southwest and southeast Fresno. Staff also recommended reserving space in Cycle 3 guidelines so Cycle 2 grantees still completing projects are not excluded from future funding opportunities.
Timeline: Staff stated the Notice of Funding Opportunity for Cycle 3 must be released by June 30, 2026; hiring and portal work are underway and job postings for the three new positions had generated substantial interest.
The commission did not take final action on contracts at the meeting; staff said they will return with contract status updates and will follow up on requests for clarity about the source of temporary funds used to restore awards affected by a prior fraud investigation.
