Sunset in Milton. (Ron Risman/The Moose, NH)

Greetings,

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving and was able to avoid the crazy traffic and shoppers. With the holidays right around the corner it's time to decorate, tackle our shopping lists, and drink some hot cocoa while listening to a soundtrack of Bing Crosby or Burl Ives.

Here at SRPC we are wrapping up the 2022 Regional Housing Needs Assessment, finalizing the Annual Listing of Obligated Projects (ALOP) and preparing for Barrington's Master Plan Community Forum on Saturday, Dec. 10.

In this issue you will find information on a new statewide broadband project; SRPC's latest job posting; nighttime guardrail repair work on Route 108 in Newmarket and Newfields; planning events of interest; funding opportunities; a welcome to SRPC's newest staff member; an SRPC RSMS update and

community happenings.    

Until Next Month,  

Shayna Sylvia 

IN THIS ISSUE

NH GRANIT Receives $1M for Broadband Work

SRPC's Latest Job Posting: Housing Navigator

Newmarket Nighttime Guardrail Work on 108

Planning Events of Interest 

Grant Corner

Staff News: SRPC Welcomes Matthew Winders!

SRPC RSMS Update

Community Happenings  

We have no pictures to share this month.

It was recently announced that UNH-based mapping agency NH Granit received $1M to,"...inventory and map statewide broadband coverage that is currently available as well as what is proposed for the state’s businesses, educators and citizens" to understand where there are gaps across the state.

A project of this scale was completed back in the early 2010s, so this initiative will be important for the state to get updated "accurate and available mapping of where broadband exists in our state..." as explained by BEA commissioner Taylor Caswell.

As noted in the UNH Today article, Bolstering Broadband, "The mapping effort will collect primary data from roughly 32 fixed broadband providers who currently offer service in the state, as well as the addresses in neighborhoods receiving broadband. Specific house addresses will not be publicly available on the maps but will be converted into broader road segment data. That information combined with service data and other geospatial data available from NH GRANIT will be used to develop state-level broadband availability maps..."

Learn more about this important project in UNH Today.

_________

Source: "Bolstering Broadband", UNH TODAY

JOB POSTING

Housing Navigator

Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) seeks a full-time housing navigator to join its innovative, collaborative, and dedicated staff team.

The housing navigator will work closely with the Towns of Farmington and New Durham to address housing shortages, challenges, and opportunities.

View the posting on the SRPC website.

National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grants: General Overview - Wednesday, December 14, 2:00-3:30 PM

This webinar is intended to provide an overview of the Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) Program, provide applicants with knowledge for applying to program, and clarify any questions associated with the application process.

The training is geared towards a broad range of attendees, including representatives of organizations eligible to receive funds under the Culvert AOP program, which are States, units of local governments, and Indian Tribes. 

Applications are due Feb. 6, 2023.

Register via Zoom, and find more information online at grants.gov.

NHMA 2023 Legislative Preview Webinar – Monday, Jan. 9 from noon - 1 p.m.

Join NHMA for a webinar previewing legislation that has been filed for 2023. Executive Director Margaret Byrnes, Government Affairs Counsel Natch Greyes, and Government Finance Advisor Katherine Heck, will provide this preview, along with outlining the messages legislators need to hear from you, introducing NHMA’s new legislative tracking software and interactive platform for members, and recommending grassroots action to get the municipal voice heard.

Register today via the NHMA website.

EPA Recycling Grant Opportunities - Due Jan. 16

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released new recycling grant opportunities funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The two programs through which funding is occurring are the Recycling Education and Outreach grant program and the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program.

The former allows towns and cities to apply for between $250,000 and $2 million to improve consumer education and outreach on waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and composting. 

The latter allows towns and cities to apply for between $500,000 and $4 million to improve materials management and infrastructure for recycling and composting. 

The estimated start date for projects awarded grants is October 2023, and all project activities must be completed within three years. 

Learn more in the Northeast Energy Recovery Associations' detailed summary.

FY 22 FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant - closes Jan. 27

The fiscal year 2022 application period for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program opened back on Sept. 30, 2022. Applications are due to NH HSEM on December 16, 2022.  

FEMA’s BRIC grant program gives states, local communities, tribes and territories funding to address future risks to natural disasters, including ones involving: wildfires, drought, hurricanes, earthquakes, extreme heat, and flooding. Addressing these risks helps make communities more resilient.

To view project funded in the prior fiscal year, visit the FEMA website. 

To view the notice of funding click here. 

To view the FEMA Fact Sheet click here.  

New Hampshire Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant - Due Feb. 1

Applications are now available for the 10 NH Conservation Districts' grant opportunity to improve farm resilience. Funding can be used for a related climate adaptation or mitigation project, and applications are due on February 1.

An informational session will be held virtually on Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. 

Those interested should visit their local conservation districts website to apply or to learn more.

Strafford Regional Planning Commission welcomed Matthew Winders, who started as a planning intern on November 15. 

Matthew, who goes by his last name Winders, is a student at the University of New Hampshire and is working towards his Bachelor of Arts in Public Service and Non-profit Leadership. He is also very involved in the City of Rochester, participating on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Trustees of the Trust Fund, and the Historic District Commission. 

Winders will be working on transportation corridor reports with a focus on developing the land use characterization of each corridor, in addition to assisting with SRPC's Communities for Healthy Aging Transitions (CHAT) project. 

When not at work, Winders enjoys hiking, going for drivers through the White Mountains in his Jeep Wrangler, and watching Netflix! 

Planning Technician Stephen Geis presented on RSMS (Road Surface Management System) alongside colleagues from other RPCs at NHMA's 81st Annual Conference on Wednesday, Nov.16. The presentation was geared towards municipal officials looking to create pavement preservation plans, which include RPC staff conducting windshield surveys and facilitating meetings with road agents to build out a 5-10 year pavement plan. These plans assist municipalities via a budget and cycle for road repairs.

In the SRPC region, SRPC kicked-off an RSMS project with Newmarket in late November. The data collection phase is complete and staff will soon begin the forecasting session.

In Milton, Stephen Geis met with the DPW department on Wednesday, Nov. 30 to create a 10-year pavement plan for the town-maintained roads. This will allow the town to establish a schedule of road repairs while balancing the idea of preservation over rehabilitation, and will assist the DPW department in communicating these needs to the budgetary committee and selectmen.

An outcome of the RSMS work in Milton will include dashboards and maps to better communicate where and why each road is in need of repair, with a final goal of supplying the town with the software to make their own changes to the plan as prices fluctuate and roads deteriorate over the next 10 years.

Learn more about SRPC's RSMS work on our website.

Holiday Bizaare

Saturday, Dec. 10 from

11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The Wrong Brain Bizaare is an annual multimedia art open market, pop-up gallery, and creative celebration! It aims to bring the strange, unconventional, underground, and alternative to the Seacoast, serving the fledgling and under-represented artists from our area and beyond.

Its Holidaze Bizaare, which will take place at Newmarket MillSpace, 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.

There is a $1 entry fee and masks are required.

Learn more.

ICYMI: The Moose, NH

Stop and Shop

Until Dec. 24

Head on over The Moose, NH for its annual Holiday Stop and Shop event, with 29 stops throughout the seven-town region.

For every stop you make during the event, you'll receive an entry into a raffle for a gift card from each participating stop. The more stops you make over the 4 weeks, the more chances you'll have. No purchase necessary. Simply pick up a "stop tracker" at any of the participating businesses during the event (or print your own) and have it signed off at each stop you make.

The raffle is our additional thanks for supporting local!

Learn more online.