Parks staff outline timeline, documentation steps for Expanded Access to Arts and Culture grants

Sarah Gaetan, program manager for the City of Fresno parks department, briefed the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission on the Expanded Access to Arts and Culture (EAAC) grant program, describing remaining Cycle 2 contracting steps and the timeline and supports for Cycle 3 applications.

Gaetan said staff have been meeting one-on-one with Cycle 2 grantees to complete contracting, that groups slated to receive 90% upfront have been contacted, and that the team is collecting final reports and expense documentation needed to execute agreements and make payments. "For Cycle 2, staff have been meeting one-on-one with each of the grantees to enable contracting with each of them," Gaetan said.

Gaetan announced the Cycle 3 Notice of Funding Opportunity was released June 30 and that the eligibility screening is open now and should be completed by Aug. 15. She said the full application will be provided to applicants after they pass the screening and that completed applications are due Sept. 30 at 3:00 p.m. The parks website for EAAC is listed at www.fresno.gov/eaac and staff provided an email (expandedarts@fresno.gov) and phone line ((559) 621-2999) for questions.

Shelby McNabb, assistant director, described why payments have been delayed for some Cycle 2 awardees: before issuing payment the city must execute a contract, confirm vendor setup and verify receipts and proof of expenditures. "We have to enter into a contract with every single Cycle 2 grantee," McNabb said. "Prior to issuing payment we're asking all of the Cycle 2 grantees to provide receipts and proof of expenditures and final reports."

McNabb explained that some grantees are not yet vendors in the city system and that setting them up as vendors, validating signatory authority and finishing required documents can add time. She and Gaetan said staff have met with most awardees and expect payments to move as grantees complete reporting and vendor setup; in a few cases grantees will need two separate agreements (settlement for expenditures already made and a new grant agreement for future funds).

Staff announced two upcoming technical-assistance workshops: a grant-guidelines workshop on July 23 at Ted C. Wills (3–5 p.m.) and a fiscal-sponsorship meet-and-greet on July 28 (3–5 p.m.). Gaetan said the fiscal-sponsor session is structured so potential fiscal sponsors can meet community applicants and that the first portion of that workshop will be recorded but the in-person match portion will not.

Gaetan also summarized web updates: a Frequently Asked Questions section with search and filtering, a meetings section with recordings and upcoming dates for the PRAC subcommittee (Aug. 17, Sept. 21, Oct. 12, Oct. 26), and outreach via an email list used to organize TA topics. She encouraged applicants to complete the Submittable eligibility screening early to allow time for clarifying questions.

The commission asked for an estimate of how many Cycle 2 grantees are ready for payment; McNabb said the number varies by applicant record completeness but staff had identified roughly 3–5 awardees who had completed all steps and many more who were nearly ready. She said award amounts have not been reduced during negotiations except that the city cannot pay expenditures that were not actually spent; adjustments would be case-by-case based on documented expenditures.

The presentation closed with staff noting continued outreach and a commitment to post materials and recordings on the EAAC pages.