Strafford Regionalists to Meet Thursday – Your Presence Needed!

Acronyms.

GSF (Granite State Future Agreement)
NHARPC (New Hampshire Association of Regional Planning Commissions)- Top State level
SRPC (Strafford Regional Planning Commission)

Background: You live in Region 1 (US planning area). At the National level there is the National Association Of Regional Planning Commissions. In NH you fall under the NHARPC. In NH there are nine regional Planning Commissions, they have an executive board and below them is the policy commission where representatives from member towns meet.

The SRPC Executive Board last month voted to adopt the NHARPC Legislative Policy Document. The Legislative Policy Document is an action priority list of what type of Legislation the RPC’s will promote. At this month’s meeting the Executive Board rescinded their vote and will now send the document to the Commission as a whole to discuss and vote on. Apparently they bent to pressure that it is not in their purview to vote on policies. The SRPC Executive Board is only an administrative arm of the SRPC — it does not vote on policy.

Below is the SRPC’s executive meeting. Jump points will guide you through pertinent items- see meeting notes:

http://www.governmentoversite.com/planning/strafford/2012-09-21

The executive Board is putting the GSF and the NHARPC Legislative Policy Document on the Agenda for the SRPC policy meeting for Thursday, September 27, 7:00 PM, at the Rochester Community Center, 150 Wakefield Rd, Rochester.

The NHARPC Legislative policy document list stipulates what “sustainable development” items/ smart growth/ livability etc, will be promoted by the RPC’s. This document was brought to the SRPC by Ken Ortmann (Rochester City Planner), who sits on the NHARPC, the NH state level of the RPC’s.

Download and view the list here: 2012-2013 Legislative Policies and Priorities

This upcoming meeting could have a huge impact on the coming year and the RPC’s “Sustainability Footprint” in this very document is what allowed the promotion of the Granite State Future Agreement. Which is anchored in “Sustainable Development”.