Students and industry professionals at the Natural Resources and the Environment Industry Panel and Career Fair. ( SRPC Photo)
Planning
On Wednesday, Feb. 6, principal regional planner Kyle Pimental met with emergency response personnel from the Town of Barrington to gather their input for the development of the town's community facilities and utilities master plan chapter. Kyle facilitated a conversation with Police Chief Bob Williams and Fire Chief Rick Walker on their current and future needs for staffing, equipment, and space.

Kyle will conduct similar conversations with the town’s highway, school, and recreation departments and with town hall and library staff members.

To view the other chapters of Barrington's master plan, visit the town’s website . 

Pieces of Interest

Transportation
Partnering for Performance New Hampshire (PFPNH) held its monthly work group meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The meeting was attended by staffers from the four New Hampshire metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT), and Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission. Rachel Dewey, data analyst, facilitated the meeting, which included:

  • A working session for NHDOT and the regional planning commissions on their upcoming Unified Planning Work Programs (UPWPs).
  • A check in on the memorandum of understanding between the MPOs and NHDOT.
  • A presentation by a vendor that provides data for travel demand modeling and corridor studies.

In the coming months, the group will focus on working toward a shared model for the four MPOs and writing a manual on developing a Transportation Improvement Program.

More information about PFPNH is available online .

Pieces of Interest

Economic Development
On Tuesday, Feb. 5, Executive Director Jen Czysz attended the Natural Resources and the Environment Industry Panel and Career Fair at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). The event began with a panel of professionals from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, the U.S. Forest Service, Triumvirate Environmental, and the Wildlife Services and the Natural Resources Conservation Services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Panelists included wildlife biologists, an environmental specialist, a state conservationist, and a conservation education specialist.

Following the panel discussion, students were encouraged to take part in the career fair, where booths were staffed by organizations and businesses in the natural resources and environment fields. Jen was joined by Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission (SNHPC) Executive Director Sylvia von Aulock at the regional planning commission booth. Many students from UNH's Community and Environmental Planning Department talked with Jen and Sylvia about working in regional planning. They also asked for assistance with résumé reviews and received important insights from both executive directors.

Students from the Community and Environmental Planning Department also helped out with SRPC’s strategic planning retreat on Friday, Feb. 8. They took notes and performed other retreat-related tasks in support of facilitator Maria Sillari. Mary Friedman, program coordinator for community and environmental planning, coordinated the UNH students’ participation.

Learn more about UNH’s Community and Environmental Planning Program here .

Pieces of Interest

Strafford Regional Planning Commission | 603-994-3500 | srpc@strafford.org | www.strafford.org
February 8, 2019