Committee recommends municipal grant application and approves contract to hire financial adviser

The Dahl Memorial Clinic Finance Committee on May 12 voted to recommend a community funding grant application to the full board and approved a professional services agreement to hire a financial adviser to assist with corporate accounting and budget setup.

Committee members said the initial grant application targets a small, under-$5,000 award from municipal grant tiers to pay for policy templates and short-term financial-advisor work. The committee discussed a separate, later grant for accounting software and implementation.

The committee approved a professional services agreement for an external financial adviser at $250 per hour with a contract cap of $5,000; the contract term was set to Sept. 30, 2025, with committee members noting the end date could be extended if necessary. The committee authorized the recommendation to the board and voted to forward the grant application and the adviser contract for board action.

Committee discussion touched on corporate governance and signature authority. Bob Dietrich asked, “What gives me the authority to sign a contract?” and committee members agreed the clinic’s bylaws require clarification. The committee directed staff to consult the attorney (agreement to be considered separately at planning committee) about establishing explicit signature authority and corporate roles for the 501(c)(3) corporation.

The committee also discussed municipal funding that had been approved previously as an advance to set up a pharmacy and the need to keep municipal and nonprofit resources separate. Staff said pharmacy start-up inventory and an attorney’s retainer were among anticipated near-term corporate expenses; staff said pharmacy revenues would be used to repay any municipal advance if grants are not available.

Roll-call votes on the motions were recorded as yes from Jeremy Simmons, Michelle DeKennedy and Bob Dietrich; both motions passed.