BITS AND PIECES

A Weekly Update from the Strafford Region

There's Still Time!

Another year has flown by and SRPC's Annual Meeting is next Thursday, June 22!

Register here today and join staff, commissioners, and our municipalities to celebrate all SRPC has accomplished this year!

This year, the Annual Meeting features guest speakers who will discuss planning for solar energy in the Strafford Region and the Greater Seacoast - a solar "panel." Lunch is provided.

Transportation

BREAKING!

Planning

Master Plan Updates

Staff is hard at work with Master Plan updates in our communities!

Last week, Regional Planner Mark Davie facilitated a kick-off workshop for Northwood’s Planning Board as they begin an update to their housing chapter. Board members recalled what attracted them to the town and completed a mapping activity about preservation and potential sites for new housing.

This week, Regional Planner Autumn Scott will work with the Strafford town Planning Board to finalize their Master Plan update in preparation for an implementation workshop in July.

Executive Director Jen Czysz and Senior Planner Lisa Murphy attended a kickoff meeting for an update to the Recreation chapter of Rochester’s Master Plan.  

Next week, SRPC will present the Regional Housing Needs Assessment completed earlier this year to Barrington’s Planning Board as they begin an update to the Housing chapter of their Master Plan.

Planning

This week, Planning Technician Stephen Geis and the Town of Milton finalized an updated Hazard Mitigation Plan. A hazard mitigation plan is used by towns to plan for any number of incidents, from pandemic response to Noreasters and everything in between. Hazard Mitigation Plans, or HazMit Plans will be essential as New Hampshire cities and towns navigate a changing world with climate change. Municipalities must adopt a Hazmit plan to apply for FEMA funding. This draft plan was developed by Milton’s Hazard Mitigation Steering Committee with assistance from SRPC. This update of the 2017 Plan is funded from the fiscal year 2020 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), which was awarded to the Department of Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is a collaborative process between the Town and SRPC. The Town of Milton has opened the 10-day public comment period today, Friday, June 16, 2023.

SRPC is kicking off Hazmit Plan updates in Strafford, Middleton, and Nottingham soon. Please contact Stephen or Senior Planner Lisa Murphy with any questions.

PIECES OF INTEREST

USDA Announces $20 million for rural communities in new Broadband Technical Assistance Program

NHFPI: Senate Modifies State Budget

NHMA Bill Tracker: FastDemocracy

2023 NHMA Annual Conference Call for Proposals (Due June 30)

National Endowment for the Arts: Our Town Applicant Q&A Office Hours (June 27)

June 9, 2023