Rochester Commons in the snow.

Greetings,

I'm excited to share that we are 17 days away from Spring, although it may not feel that way with the impending snowstorm. I hope everyone is stocked up with hot cocoa and an enjoyable book or a new show to binge for the blustery weekend! 

Here at SRPC we are beginning solicitation for our '23 data collection season, working with the towns of Farmington and New Durham to submit Housing Opportunity Program (HOP) grants, and about to kick off planning for this year's CommuteSmart NH and Seacoast challenges. 

In this issue you will find information on SRPC’s latest videos and job postings; NHPA’s spring conference and open submission period for sessions and awards; planning events of interest; Farmington’s recent accolades for its drinking water; funding opportunities; staff news; public input opportunities you may have missed; regional planner Autumn Scott attending a CoastWise field trip; and community happenings. 



Until Next Month,  

Shayna Sylvia 

IN THIS ISSUE

SRPC's Latest Videos and Job Postings

NHPA Announces Spring Conference

Planning Events of Interest

Partner Spotlight: Farmington

Grant Corner

Staff News: Milestones

Public Input Opportunities

Regional Planner Attends Coastwise Trip

Community Happenings  

Attendees at the Invest NH Road Show Event in Dover. (SRPC photo)

Jen Czysz and planning intern Winders attended the Natural Resources and the Environment Panel & Career Fair, alongside staff from Rockingham Planning Commission and Southern NH Planning Commission. (SRPC photo)

SRPC TAC Committee

SRPC Policy Committee

SRPC February Commission Meeting

Regional Planner/Senior Planner

Strafford Regional Planning Commission seeks a full-time regional planner to join our dedicated staff team.

The planner will take a lead role in the following initiatives:

• Prepare the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.
• Serve as a liaison to local, regional, state, and federal agencies.
• Facilitate regular collaborative meetings with area economic development leaders.
• Prepare local and regional master plans.
• Provide technical assistance to local land use boards and municipal planning staff.
• The ideal candidate will have experience in economic development and land use planning and enjoy working in a creative, innovative, and collaborative environment. They will also have excellent communications skills, both oral and written, and a high degree of personal accountability.

Salary ($52,000-$72,000) is commensurate with qualifications and experience. We offer a flexible work environment and excellent benefit package. Position remains open until filled.

Learn more or apply.

Summer Intern

Interested in learning more about the planning profession, how data is collected and analyzed, and looking for a chance to prepare plans and reports?

Strafford Regional Planning Commission seeks a summer intern to assist our transportation planning team collecting transportation and traffic related data in the field and assisting with data analysis and report writing. Throughout the summer, the intern will also have the opportunity to network with existing staff in all SRPC program areas including economic development, housing, land use and environmental planning.

Learn more or apply.

Due April 7

Due March 23

New Hampshire Best Practices for Effective Local Floodplain Management Webinar - Tuesday, Apr. 4, 10 a.m. - noon

Join partners from the Flood Smart Seacoast project, along with BEA and the NH Coastal Program, for a virtual panel discussion with local New Hampshire floodplain administrators covering best practices and challenges of administration, permitting, and enforcing regulations related to floodplain management.

Additionally, the NH Floodplain Management Program will provide an overview of the responsibilities of a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) participating community, substantial improvement and substantial damage determinations, and provide an update on the flood provisions in the State Building Code. 

The intended audience for the webinar includes floodplain administrators, building inspectors, town planners, regional planners, state staff, conservation commission members, planning board members, zoning board members, selectboard members, and concerned residents.

Learn more via the event flyer, or register online.

New Hampshire Grant Funding Workshop - Thursday, Mar. 23, 9 a.m. - noon, Edward Cross Training Center Complex in Pembroke, NH

Join the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Pembroke on Thursday, Mar. 23 for an overview of upcoming grant funding opportunities.

The half-day workshop will provide a preview of state funding, as well as highlight two upcoming National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant announcements that support project work in the Upper Connecticut River watershed and coastal New Hampshire.

Attendees will hear directly from funders, learn important tips for creating a competitive proposal, find ways to connect with potential match, and have a chance to talk through specific project ideas with funders and the Long Island Sound Futures Fund and National Coastal Resilience Fund Field Liaison teams.

*This workshop has been approved for 3 technical contact hours (TCHs), 0.3 continuing education credits (CEUs). Attendees must register online.

To learn more about the upcoming workshop please contact Kimberly Groff, Project Partner, Throwe Environmental, LLC.

The Town of Farmington recently received a third place award for the best tasting water in the United States as part of the annual Great American Water Taste Test sponsored by the National Rural Water Association.

Each state holds their own competition at their annual conference in the fall, which in NH is run by the Granite State Rural Water Association, and then the winner of the statewide contest can move on to compete in the national competition.

Farmington had never entered the contest until 2022 and competed against twenty-two other towns statewide. In New Hampshire, the Town of Orford was the first-place winner, with Farmington in second; however, Orford declined to attend, so Farmington was invited as the runner-up. Jonathan Forbes, of the Water Department, represented Farmington at the National Competition in Washington DC February 2023 with all expenses paid for except the cost to ship Farmington’s water.

The water that was entered into the contest came from Well 6, which according to staff at the Water Department is “crystal clear” with tests well below state standards on all contaminants. At the national level, forty-four states, including NH, were entered. The final results were New Mexico – 1st Place; Oklahoma & Washington State tied for 2nd place; New Hampshire (Town of Farmington) 3rd.

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) National Coastal Resilience Fund - Due Apr. 12, 2023 

$140 million in grants are available for projects to create and restore natural systems in order to increase protection for communities from coastal hazards while improving habitats for fish and wildlife species. NFWF prioritizes projects that are community led or incorporate direct community engagement and benefit underserved communities facing disproportionate harm from climate impacts. Projects should align with one of the following four categories:

1. Community capacity building and planning

2. Site assessment and preliminary design

3. Final design and permitting

4. Restoration implementation

An informational session is being held on Thursday, Mar. 23, 9 a.m. in Pembroke, NH. View the details in the 'Planning Events of Interest' section of this newsletter.

EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Program - Notice of Intent by Mar. 31 (state), and Apr. 28 (Municipalities)

The CPRG program will provide grants to states, territories, tribes, air pollution control agencies, and local governmental to develop and implement plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. From a recent webinar EPA hosted it sounds like funding can be used for staffing, contracting, and community engagement. Future funding will be available for implementation.

Funding can also go directly to local governments as long as they show collaboration across boundaries (region/country/etc.); the deadline to opt in is March 31. Program guidance is available online.

An informational webinar for non-competitive planning grants is scheduled for March 7 at 2 pm EST. Details, registration, and a copy of the recording from the February 15 webinar are available here.

Recent and Upcoming Milestones

Kathy Foster, financial manager, celebrates eleven years this month. 

Kathy began providing contract financial service to SRPC in 2012 and was hired as the financial manager during the 2022 fiscal year. 

Kathy is responsible for full charge bookkeeping, payroll processing and reporting; human resources; budget development and analysis; grant and contract financial administration and management; financial and grant reporting; indirect cost rate calculation and recovery; assistance with financial auditing. 

Colin Lentz, senior transportation planner, celebrates nine years this month.

Colin started as the transportation planner at SRPC in April of 2014 and was promoted to senior transportation planner in the 2018 fiscal year.

Colin leads SRPC's planning processes as a Metropolitan Planning Organization and is very connected with local, state and federal partners.

Learn more in our feature blog on Colin, written in 2019.

SRPC released its draft Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) on Monday, Feb. 13.

This core planning document is a fulfillment of SRPC's mandated function to "compile an assessment of the region’s housing needs by evaluating current, local, and regional data, and projecting future needs of residents of all income levels and ages" per RSA 36:47 (II). Unlike previous years, the development of the 2022 assessment was done in collaboration with the New Hampshire Office of Planning and Development and the eight other NH Regional Planning Commissions as a statewide effort, initiated by the Council on Housing Stability’s 2021-2024 Strategic Plan led by Governor Chris Sununu.

This iteration is unique given in the level of statewide collaboration through the entirety of the process, with all nine RPCs partnering to create common outreach strategies, methodologies, data analysis, and an outline for each plan to allow for easy comparison between regions. The 2023 RHNA places a greater emphasis on outreach efforts to different stakeholders, including homeowners, renters, housing authorities, social service providers, developers, business, and landlords to supplement the quantitative data of this plan. And lastly, the current plan was completed in-house by SRPC staff, and the issued during a nationwide housing crisis. 

Read the document and learn how to submit comments by referring to the public notice.

Annual Full Moon Snowshoe/Hike

Mar. 3 at 6:30 p.m.

The Dover Open Lands Committee invites you to a Full Moon Snowshoe/Hike on Saturday March 4th at 6:30 PM. This event is free and open to the public.

Attendees will gather at the Beckwith Ballpark Parking Lot on Hillside Drive, off of 6th Street, and from there take a leisurely walk through the Cassily Conservation Area. Hot cocoa and snacks provided.

As conditions may change attendees are encouraged to monitor the weather to determine appropriate footwear/clothing.

Email Jackson Kaspari with any questions.

Maple Weekend

Mar. 18 & 19

8 a.m. - 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Join Spring Harvest Maple Farm during the weekend of Mar. 18 for their annual Maple Weekend Open House.

They will be demonstrating the process of making syrup, as well as a tutorial on how the trees are tapped to collect the sap.

There will be delicious samples of their Maple products and a raffle.

Learn more.