A split Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission decided at a July 1 special meeting to continue for two weeks reconsideration of the Measure P arts grants that the Commission approved in May. The vote was 4-3, with two absences.
The Commission will take up the issue again at its July 15 regular meeting.
It’s unclear whether the reconsideration will involve changing grant amounts to more than 70 nonprofit arts organizations and individual artists with eligible fiscal sponsors. On May 20, the Commission approved $8.7 million in Measure P grants to organizations and artists.
Much of the discussion at the July 1 meeting focused on southeast, southwest and south central Fresno receiving equitable funding from the Measure P arts grants.
Commissioner Jose Leon Barraza reported that applicants in City Council District 5 – which encompasses southeast Fresno – are slated to receive only $260,000 of the $8.7 million. Lilia Gonzáles Chávez, executive director of the Fresno Arts Council, said only four applicants from District 5 sought Measure P funding.
This story will be updated.