July 9, 2021
Strafford Regional Planning Commission Newsletter
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Club Pond in New Durham. (Allan-Janet Thorell/ The Moose, NH)
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Greetings,
I hope you are all staying warm and dry on this cool, drizzly day. I would normally recite the classic poem, "rain, rain, go away, come back again some other day," but with the recent drought conditions, today is the day for the rain to stay! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend, and got to spend some time barbecuing, with family and friends, or just relaxing.
Here at SRPC we are kicking off the new fiscal year, continuing outreach for our Communities for Healthy Aging Transitions (CHAT) project, and looking forward to commencing our new 2-year transportation program and a new year of economic development programs.
In this issue you will find information on the kickoff for the POP! Summer Recreation Passport, our upcoming Resiliency Roundtable featuring Annie Ropeik and Ted Diers, our recreation planning being featured in statewide publications, the Middleton Sunrise Lake project, our newest staff member, planning events of interest, available grant funding, the release of "New Hampshire's Coastal Watershed Plan", the Office of Strategic Initiatives new title and structure, an opportunity to share input on our Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), and community happenings.
Until Next Month,
Shayna Sylvia
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IN THIS ISSUE
POP! Summer Recreation Passport Program Kickoff
Resiliency Roundtable focused on Drought
SRPC's Latest Features
Community Spotlight: Project Edition
Staff News: SRPC Welcomes Megan Taylor-Fetter
Planning Events of Interest
Grant Corner
Release of "New Hampshire's Coastal Watershed Plan"
NH OSI Announces New Name and Restructuring
Opportunities for Public Input
Community Happenings
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STAFF SNAPSHOTS - June/July |
SRPC's data collection intern, Mark Davie, tests the setup for the birdhouses that are part of the POP! summer recreation passport. Learn more in article below. |
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POP! Summer Recreation Passport Program Kickoff Event |
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SRPC will launch its Promoting Outdoor Play! (POP!) Summer Recreation Passport on Jul 20 around 11 a.m., following the Cochecho Arts Festival children's series. This event takes place at the Rotary Arts Pavilion at Henry Law Park in Dover.
The Promoting Outdoor Play! Summer Recreation Passport challenges kids and families to get outdoors and explore the Strafford Region by collecting stamps which are located in birdhouses setup at eight different trails, playgrounds and parks throughout the region. The passport will also be available to pick-up at the Children's Museum of New Hampshire, who is partnering on this program, and at various other locations noted on the project website.
This program is part of a larger project which allowed SRPC to catalog 300+ recreation sites and create an Online Map Viewer. This resource can help citizens discover even more sites in addition to the eight listed in the passport, all of which can be logged in the Digital Passport for a chance to win prizes throughout the summer. Prizes will be announced via the POP! Facebook page and Instagram account.
SRPC is also encouraging participants to share photos of their adventures using the #promotingoutdoorplaynh or via email to srpc@strafford.org.
This project is funded by the NH Children's Health Foundation.
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Water Resiliency and the Region's Future: Drought, Development and Day-to-Day Dependence |
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SRPC is excited to announce its next public Resiliency Roundtable with the theme, "Water Resiliency and the Region's Future: Drought, Development and Day-to-Day Dependence." It will be held on Jul. 22 from 9:30-11 a.m. in a hybrid format, with both online and in-person options. For those attending in-person, the meeting will take place in SRPC's Conference Room 1A at 150 Wakefield Street, Suite 12, Rochester, NH.
The topic, water conditions and drought in the region, will be addressed by guest speakers, Annie Ropeik from NH Public Radio (NHPR) and Ted Diers from NH Department of Environmental Services’ Water Division. Ropeik has reported extensively on drought of late, and Diers serves as the drought point of contact this summer.
This promises to be an informative, timely, and lively discussion, so please mark your calendars! For those planning to attend online, please register via Zoom and for in-person attendance please RSVP to Nancy O'Connor.
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SRPC was recently featured in two publications, the NH Municipal Association's Town and City magazine, and the NH Children's Health Foundation's Newsletter for its recreation planning programs.
View the NHCHF Newsletter, which highlighted SRPC's Promoting Outdoor Play (POP!) project here. |
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Community Spotlight: Project Edition
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Town volunteer and resident John Mullen, captains a tour for the Sunrise Lake Watershed Management Plan project team. (SRPC photo.)
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The Town of Middleton has partnered with SRPC, the NH Department of Environmental Services, Geosyntec, and DK Water Resource Consulting to complete a watershed management plan for Sunrise Lake in Middleton. This project, which kicked off in January 2021, will allow the town to set water quality goals aimed at improving lake water quality, reducing toxic algal blooms, and achieving a significant reduction of phosphorus loading.
As part of the effort, principal regional planner Kyle Pimental joined several project team members for a tour of the lake on Wednesday, Jun. 30. The purpose of this in-field investigation was to identify locations of potential pollutant sources that may not be visible from the road, as well as assess feasibility of proposed stormwater best management practice (BMP) retrofits.
Kyle was joined by Sally Soule (NHDES), Renee Bourdeau (Geosyntec), Emma Williamson (Geosyntec), and Don Kretchmer (DK Water Resource Consulting). This field investigation was conducted jointly with John Mullen – resident and community champion – who was kind enough to take the team out on the lake on his pontoon boat. His detailed local knowledge of problem areas was extremely valuable in helping focus field time efficiently on priority areas.
Information collected from this assessment will help the team pursue concept-level best management practice (BMP) selection, siting, design, sizing, and costing purposes. This may include estimates of catchment size, estimates of catchment land uses, potential permitting constraints (e.g., proximity to wetlands), and other site features or physical constraints that are relevant to design.
A special thanks to our captain, John Mullen for his instrumental role in the progress made thus far in the development of the management plan. Projects such as this one, rely heavily on local stakeholders, and the entire project team recognizes and appreciates the time and effort he has put into this project.
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SRPC Welcomes Megan Taylor-Fetter |
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Megan Taylor-Fetter started in her role as SRPC's office coordinator on June 23.
Megan comes to SRPC by way of the Town of Farmington, where she worked as the Selectmen’s Secretary/Executive Administrative Assistant, for the last 16 years.
Megan will be working closely with Jen Czysz, executive director, and Kathy Foster, SRPC's financial consultant to assist with payroll and HR duties, and other administrative and organizational processes. She will also be taking over coordination for Executive Committee and Commissions meetings, and assisting with Policy and Technical Advisory Committee meetings.
Megan has interest and experience in journalism and photography at the University of Rhode Island and through Philadelphia Community College.
When Megan is not working, she enjoys gardening, traveling, hiking, and boating.
Join us in welcoming Megan.
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Planning Events of Interest |
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America Walk's Authentic Community Engagement: Best Practices for Equitable Work webinar - Jul. 14, 2 - 3 p.m.
Join America Walks for presentations and a robust Q & A dialogue with active transportation professionals, nonprofit leaders, and equitable engagement experts around what it means to practice and build authentic community engagement with diverse coalitions as the foundation for driving those vital relationships.
Panelists will share their best practices for equitable work in striving for inclusive, accessible, connected, and walkable communities - through the lens of their invaluable learned, professionally practiced and lived experiences. Among the details covered, presenters will lean into the importance of acknowledging past harms and learning how to demonstrate an awareness and distinction of active transportation and walkability work as a true tool for empowerment vs. a weapon of racialized oppression.
Learn more and register online.
The NH Office of Strategic Initiatives'(OSI) “Meeting Mechanics of Land Use Boards” on July 15, noon - 1 p.m.
Join NH OSI for its next Planning Lunches at Noon (PLAN) monthly webinar geared towards board members, administrators, municipal officials, and others interested in the mechanics of a land use board meeting.
This webinar will consist of a discussion between Tim Corwin, the City of Lebanon’s Senior Planner and Zoning Administrator, and Shawn Tanguay, from the law firm of Drummond Woodsum. Moderated by OSI’s Michael Klass, this roundtable will identify the goals of a sound land use board review process and offer tips to help ensure a fair and efficient experience for all parties involved. The webinar will conclude with Q&A.
To register send an email to OSI at Training@osi.nh.gov by Monday, Jul. 12 with the subject line, "Register for Meeting Mechanics Webinar." The email should include your name and the name of the municipality that you serve (or other affiliation).
Learn more about the PLAN monthly webinar series on the OSI website.
Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) "The Evolution of VPI During the Pandemic: State DOT Practices" webinar - Jul. 21, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Join the FHWA for "The Evolution of VPI During the Pandemic: State DOT Practice" webinar being offered as part of FHWA’s Every Day Counts Initiative on Virtual Public Involvement.
The webinar will take place via Microsoft Teams Live on Wednesday, July 21, from 1:00-2:30 PM ET.
The webinar will feature:
- A short introduction from the FHWA Office of Planning, Environment and Realty;
- A presentation from the Ohio Department of Transportation about how their approach to virtual public involvement has changed during the Covid-19 pandemic;
- A presentation from the Maryland State Highway Administration about how they pivoted to using virtual public meetings for the I-495 and I-270 managed lanes study;
- A presentation from the Maryland Transportation Authority about how they adapted their approach to public involvement for the Chesapeake Bay Crossing study to include virtual public involvement techniques; and
- A questions and answer session.
For questions about the VPI initiative, please contact Carolyn Nelson (Carolyn.Nelson@dot.gov), Lana Lau (Lana.Lau@dot.gov), or Jill Stark (Jill.Stark@dot.gov).
The FHWA is committed to providing equal access to this webinar for all participants. If you need alternative formats or services because of a disability, please contact Benjamin Turpin at 617-494-2771 or via email (Benjamin.Turpin@dot.gov) with your request by close of business on July 6, 2021.
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NH Children's Health Foundation Responsive Grants, LOI due: Sunday, August 15
The next Call for Responsive Grant Proposals opens August 1, 2021 at which time requests will be considered for: preventing childhood obesity, promoting oral health and reducing food insecurity. Requests for single year, up to $30,000, and multi-year, up to $90,000, will be considered.
Letters of Inquiry are due on August 15.
Coastal Resilience Grants (CRG) - due: Friday, July 30
The New Hampshire Coastal Program is currently accepting applications for the 2021 Coastal Resilience Grant (CRG) funding opportunity.
As explained on the NH Department on Environmental Services website, "Since 2014, the New Hampshire Coastal Program has funded 19 Coastal Resilience Grant projects totaling $850,888 in federal grant funding and $431,608 in non-federal match from grantees."
The CRG funding opportunity supports (i) projects that build neighborhood, grassroots, or municipal capacity for coastal resilience work; (ii) projects that integrate the 2020 NH Coastal Flood Risk Guidance into local plans and regulations, and (iii) projects that seek to increase resilience of site-specific physical assets.
Those that need assistance with the grant applications, or for communities interested in partnering with SRPC on a project, contact principal regional planner Kyle Pimental.
Applications must be submitted using the online application form no later than 4:00 PM EDT on Friday, July 30, 2021.
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The Nature Conservancy in NH Releases "New Hampshire's Coastal Watershed Plan" |
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Over the last year and a half, the Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire has partnered with various stakeholders to complete its "New Hampshire’s Coastal Watershed Conservation Plan." As explained by project managers Anna Ormiston and Peter Steckler, "This plan... incorporates conservation priorities that have emerged from various planning efforts over the last 15 years."
The plan includes a one-page executive summary before diving into "ambitious conservation targets" that are recommended "in combination with land use planning, public policy, and outreach and engagement efforts to conserve the ecological function and integrity of our special seacoast region..."
To begin outreach and implementation of the plan, a subset of partners applied for funding in February, and are waiting to hear if that has been approved.
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The NH Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI) Announces New Name and Restructuring |
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As shared by the NH Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI) Planning Division Director Jennifer Gilbert:
"Effective July 1, 2021, the Planning Division staff and planning programs within the NH Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI) now form the newly created Office of Planning and Development within the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA). The OSI Energy Division’s staff and programs have been transferred to the newly established Department of Energy (https://www.energy.nh.gov/).
This transition is currently underway and may take months to complete. Please be sure that, despite the new name, our planning work, responsibilities, and mission have not changed. Planning staff are available as usual and can be contacted through their existing phone numbers and by email. Staff have new email addresses, which can be found at the following link, and staff’s old, OSI email addresses will remain active through July. The OSI Planning Division’s web site (https://www.nh.gov/osi/planning/index.htm) also remains active and is available during the transition.
We will provide further updates and information as they become available. Thank you for your patience as we make this transition."
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Opportunities for Public Input |
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Strafford Economic Development District's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
The Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) in its role as an Economic Development District (EDD) is soliciting comments on adoption of the 2021-2025 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
The CEDS contains an analysis of the region’s economy and identifies goals, strategies, and priority projects for implementation over the next five years.
Comments for the draft CEDS will be accepted up until Thursday, July 15, 2021, and at the public hearing on Friday, Jul. 16 at 9 a.m. During the public hearing staff will lead Commissioners and participants in an interactive exercise to prioritize which action items should be the focus of our FY 2022 economic development work program.
The public hearing can be attended in-person or electronically. Attend in-person at SRPC, 150 Wakefield St, Rochester, NH, or electronically by dialing (646) 558-8656 and using conference ID: 833 2937 9249, or participating online at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83329379249.
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Save the Date: Rochester Free
Comic Book Day
Aug. 14 at 10 a.m.
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Organized by Jetpack Comics & Games, Rochester Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) encourages businesses to participate and distribute free comics books all over downtown. Although the event traditionally happens the first Saturday of May, Rochester FCBD was rescheduled to August 14, due to the pandemic.
Event attendees walk from business to business, taking advantage of a variety of special offerings and the opportunity to collect one free comic book per family at each stop.
Jetpack will also be setting up an event hall where visitors can meet local & nationally known comic book creators as well as comic book vendors. A Comic Book Scavenger Hunt will take place from 10am to 4pm with a costume contest and after party to follow at The Garage, at the Governor's Inn.
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