Data collection and analysis assistant Stefanie Casella video conferences in to the CTAP/Commute Smart NH meeting on Thursday. ( SRPC Photo)
Planning
On Tuesday, Dec. 18, Executive Director Jen Czysz and principal regional planner Kyle Pimental met with staffers from the Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC) and New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) to review the joint SRPC and RPC proposal for funding from the local sourcewater protection program.
 
SRPC and RPC will use NHDES’s feedback to refine the final project scope and deliverables. The proposed project will be the first phase of a two-phase process to develop a long-term drinking water supply plan for southeastern New Hampshire, one of the fastest growing parts of the state. This regional effort aligns with the Nov. 1, 2018, release of the Final Report of the Seacoast Commission on Long Term Goals and Requirements for Drinking Water .
 
The project proposed by SRPC and RPC will include the following:
 
  1. A set of maps showing the location of drinking water supplies in the region and providing contextual details to better communicate potential threats to drinking water sources and opportunities for their protection.
  2. A decision-making tool to help municipalities identify and select drinking water protection actions tailored to their needs.
  3. A pilot project to demonstrate one of the water resource protection tools and to be used as a case study.

More information will be posted on the SRPC website after the project kick-off.

Pieces of Interest

Transportation
Colin Lentz, senior transportation planner, and Shayna Sylvia, communications and outreach planner, attended the Commute Smart NH coordination meeting at the Central New Hampshire Planning Commission office on Thursday, Dec. 19. Data collection and analysis assistant Stef Casella participated via videoconference.

The meeting was called to discuss Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) funding recently approved at Governor and Council meeting on December 5. The funding will support future Commute Smart NH planning activities including regional and statewide events such as Bike to Work and Bike to School weeks and improvements in the use and recognition of NH Rideshare software. The funding will also support important meetings and discussions that could lead to better coordination of activities with the ride matching programs in surrounding states.
 
Thursday's meeting also provided an opportunity for stakeholders across the state to meet, learn about Commute Smart NH, participate in training with NH Rideshare staff, review potential performance measures, and discuss holding statewide commuting challenges and events.
 
More information about Commute Smart NH is available on the group’s website . 

Pieces of Interest

Economic Development
NH Employment Security (NHES) released the December edition of NH Economic Conditions , which includes information on the longevity of New Hampshire businesses, seasonally and non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates, and current employment statistics.
 
According to the publication, the New Hampshire portion of the Dover–Durham, NH–ME Metropolitan NECTA had an unemployment rate of 1.8 percent in October 2018, one of the lowest in the state ( see report table and map ).
 
This type of information is helpful in understanding regional economy and will be included in the Strafford Economic Development District’s update to the 2011–2016 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) . Yearly updates to the plan can be found on the Strafford EDD website .
 
Learn more online .
Pieces of Interest

Strafford Regional Planning Commission | 603-994-3500 | srpc@strafford.org | www.strafford.org
December 21, 2018