SRPC's Monthly Newsletter | |
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And just like that, it’s December! We hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving break, and maybe even had a chance to patronize some of the local stores on Shop Local Saturday.
SRPC staff have been busy! The Seacoast Economic Development Stakeholders hosted a Workforce Development workshop at the Seacoast Repertory Theater in Portsmouth and SRPC staff hosted a Route 11 Corridor Study Workshop in Farmington.
In our Partner Spotlight, we write about ApprenticeshipNH and the training and resources this program offers local businesses to help build their workforce.
In this issue you will find information on the Development Committee in New Durham, SRPC’s latest workshops, the NHPA Annual Meeting, planning events of interest, public input opportunities and Community Happenings.
We wish everyone a merry holiday season as we head into the New Year.
Until next year,
Megan Taylor-Fetter
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Staff News
SRPC's latest Job Posting
Partner Spotlight
SRPC's latest Workshops
Grant Corner
Planning Events of Interest
Public Input Opportunities Community Happenings
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Elsie Steals the Show
Staff took turns watching Elsie, while her father, Kyle Pimental, presented at the Commission meeting Thursday evening. When commissioners heard there was a baby in the house, many came into the office prior to the meeting to meet her. She was a delight!
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SRPC Seeks GIS Intern
Interested in gaining hands-on GIS experience? SRPC is looking for a GIS intern to assist with several new projects. This is a great opportunity for the selected candidate polish their skills and build their portfolio.
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Development Committee in New Durham
The New Durham Development Committee was formed under the Planning Board in response to the need for further involvement in areas of residential and commercial development, land use and municipal planning. The committee has over ten members that are hard at work conducting outreach and research, and working together to come up with solutions that align with the town’s character and vision.
As a start, they decided to begin with short term rentals, tax impacts, affordable housing, and to coordinate with the Select Board on municipal planning. Each monthly meeting will focus on one of those four areas to accomplish their team goals and to work towards community engagement plans.
ApprenticeshipNH
ApprenticeshipNH helps businesses grow their workforce and train the next generation. For businesses looking to build a team of skilled workers, consider NH’s registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. These programs offer direct hands-on training from the business, while technical training is provided by the Community College System of NH. Apprentices will work closely with a mentor within the company, gaining valuable knowledge and building relationships.
The ApprenticeshipNH team can help a business owner develop a customized Registered Apprenticeship program that fits the needs of the business. They have the expertise and financial resources to guide a business owner through the registration process and even help with the recruitment and screening of potential apprentices. Plus, they can connect businesses to resources in NH that can help fund the cost of on-the-job learning and related instruction.
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SRPC'S LATEST WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS | |
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Workforce Development
The Seacoast Economic Development Stakeholders (SEDS) hosted a Workforce Development Workshop on December 5 at the Seacoast Repertory Theater in Portsmouth. A panel of 3 employers was facilitated by Michael Cinquino from Soho Creative Studios, who created the Employer Toolkit. The employers discussed their strategies for attracting, developing and retaining talent on the Seacoast. Many thanks to Ascendle, JOBTALK, and Central Park Garage for sharing how they create and maintain a successful culture for their employees. A special thanks to Chase Hagaman at NH BEA for speaking, and Ben VanCamp at The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth, Darren Winham with the Town of Exeter and Sean Clancy at the City of Portsmouth for organizing this timely and important workshop.
Check out how other businesses have recruited and supported employees in the Employer Toolkit:
https://www.sohocreativestudio.com/employer-toolkit
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New Hampshire Planners Association’s (NHPA) Annual Meeting
On Friday, December 1, 2023, NHPA hosted their annual meeting at Fratellos Italian Grille in Manchester and offered attendees the opportunity to participate in two professional growth opportunities, including an interactive session on Artificial Intelligence and an update from NHDES staff on upcoming statewide programming and rulemaking.
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Farmington Route 11 Corridor Workshop a Success!
Another successful Community Workshop in the Strafford Region was completed on Wednesday, November 29th! SRPC staff Kyle Pimental, Angela Cleveland and Courtney Grugnale organized an open house style workshop with presentations to discuss the results of the Route 11 Corridor analysis that our consultants have been working on since the summer. Discussions on housing, population changes, transportation improvements, recreation, mixed use, zoning changes, and open space were all packed into the Route 11 Corridor Workshop. Thanks to Resilience Planning and Design, RKG Associates and Fougere Planning for their passion and expertise on this project. We look forward to identifying recommendations for zoning changes along the corridor with the community!
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NH and ME SBA Launch Rural ASCENT Program
NH’s Outdoor Recreation is a growing industry making strides across the state. Through an 8-week virtual cohort, the Small Business Development Administration (SBA) wants to support those small businesses by connecting them to programs and resources and most importantly, to each other. This cohort is being offered to rural small businesses either directly in a recreation business (hiking, biking, skiing, mountain climbing, fishing, etc.) or a retailer that provides gear or apparel. It is limited to 10 Maine businesses and 10 New Hampshire businesses that have been in operation for 2 years or less. The Rural ASCENT program will launch on January 4th and wrap up on February 22nd consisting of a kickoff meeting, weekly sessions after each module, and a wrap-up session.
For more information, contact SBA's New Hampshire District Office - Rachael Roderick at rachael.roderick@sba.gov or (603) 225-1603
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PLANNING EVENTS OF INTEREST | |
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Happy ACS Data Release Day from the SRPC Data Team!
The US Census Bureau is releasing the 2018-2022 five-year American Community Survey (ACS) data today. The ACS provides a wide range of important statistics about people and housing for every community in the nation. This survey is the only source of local estimates for most of the more than 40 topics it covers.
You can check out the data here: https://buff.ly/3ro9hc4
This is the first batch of data that SRPC will be digging into for the Regional Data Snapshot update that will be released in April 2024. The data team will be working on the Data Snapshot throughout the winter. Learn more about the Data Snapshot on our website: https://buff.ly/3GuwBIO
Contact Rachel Dewey for more information.
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PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITIES | |
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Wrong Brains 12th Annual Holidaze Bizaare
Saturday December 10 from 11:00 AM-5:00 PM at North Country Hard Cider in Dover, NH! New location for the bizaare!
The Wrong Brain Bizaare is an annual multimedia art open market and creative celebration! We aim to bring the strange, unconventional, underground, and alternative to the Seacoast, serving the fledgling and under-represented artists from our area and beyond.
The Holidaze Bizaare exists to fulfill the need for an alternative craft fair, by creating the necessary space and opportunity for those who are not accommodated by the traditional holiday market.
Winter Farmers Market
Seacoast Eat Local's Winter Farmers Market program is back up and running, with the next regional market held on December 16 at Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford.
Visit your favorite farmers, vendors and crafters between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and even pick up some last minute Christmas gifts!
View the full winter schedule online.
Other Events
Dec. 9, 9am-2pm: Date Change!! 2nd Annual Lee Stuff-A-Cruiser Event
Dec. 10, 3:00pm: Northwood Santa Parade
Dec. 15, 4:30-7:30pm and Dec. 16, 2-6:30pm: Dover Youth to Youth 16th annual Santa’s Castle
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Strafford Regional Planning Commission
150 Wakefield Street, Suite 12
Rochester, NH 03867
www.strafford.org
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