Fresno Arts Council said it was \u201cthe victim of unauthorized financial transactions resulting in the loss of agency funds\u201d on Friday, Feb. 6.<\/a> Fresno Police Department and the FBI are investigating the case, which city sources told The Bee centers on a former operations manager<\/a>.<\/p>\n Parks, Recreation and Arts Commissioner Jose Leon Barraza asked city park staff during a monthly commission meeting Monday night if there was an update on the city\u2019s attempt to recoup any of the estimated $1.5 million of missing taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have that information, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d said Shelby MacNab, assistant director of the Parks, After School, Recreation, and Community Services (PARCS) department.<\/p>\n \u201cDo we have any new information as to what happened with the money that got lost?\u201d Barraza asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we don\u2019t, at this time,\u201d Macnab said.<\/p>\n Aaron Aguirre, PARCS department director, said the department has received limited information given the ongoing law enforcement investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cDetails are pretty limited as far as what we\u2019re receiving (from law enforcement),\u201d he said. \u201cWe have not been updated \u2014 it\u2019s still in the active investigation process. So I don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to have the information to share with you, unfortunately, at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n Fresno PD Spokesperson Lt. Larry Bowlan said that as of Wednesday, he had no new information to report and that no arrests or arrest warrants have been issued by Fresno PD.<\/p>\n \u2018What is the city\u2019s plan moving forward?\u2019<\/p>\n PARC Chair Kimberly McCoy asked how the city would make sure that grantees who have yet to be paid their awarded grant funds during the ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n About 33 organizations and artists are still awaiting payment from the previous grant cycle.<\/a><\/p>\n McCoy said many of these small nonprofits rely on these grant funds and they may be forced to shut their doors the longer payment is withheld from them.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want the public to get a bad taste in their mouth about the arts and cultural portion of the Measure P because it really is a good thing,\u201d McCoy said.<\/p>\n City Manager Georgeanne White said in February that it would take at least a month for the city to start paying artists<\/a> after the city took over administration of the grant funds upon cancelling its contract with Fresno Arts Council effective Feb. 20.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are working actively to work through the next steps for the grantees who have not been paid, those who have been paid, and we\u2019re working with our risk and legal departments expeditiously,\u201d MacNab said.<\/p>\n The PRAC Commission voted Monday to recommend the hiring of three new positions in the PARCS department to oversee the Expanded Access to Arts and Culture Grants program<\/a>: a project liaison\/program administrator, a community outreach specialist and a community coordinator.<\/p>\n McCoy and Barraza voted against the item after several community members and artists urged the city to prioritize hiring a Cultural Affairs Director to oversee the program. The item that ultimately passed with five supporting votes.<\/p>\n Previously, there was no staff in the parks department dedicated to this administrative function, MacNab said.<\/p>\n The item will appear before Fresno City Council on March 26 for adoption before the jobs can be posted.<\/p>\n Commissioners also approved a resolution to establish the Expanded Access to Arts and Culture Subcommittee<\/a> to oversee grant guidelines as the city moves the program in-house.<\/p>\n
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