planning

Is your Select Board or Planning Board hearing more from residents about desire for safe pedestrian accommodation than in years past? The COVID-19 pandemic has led more people in New Hampshire and around the country to seek their exercise outdoors, in some cases leading to a realization that they don’t feel as comfortable walking on local roadways as they’d like.

If a disaster strikes, can your organization continue to provide businesses and residents the same level of service? Before any significant amount of work can be done to establish a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP), it is essential to know exactly what the scope of the plan will be and who will be involved in its development. The following are some important considerations.

It's sometimes referred to as a sort of "state zoning." In any town that has a planning board with subdivision authority, RSA 674:41 prohibits building on any lot unless "the street giving access" is a Class V highway or better; is shown on a subdivision or other plan approved by the planning board; or is a Class VI highway or "private road" upon which the board of selectmen has voted to authorize building permits under certain specified conditions.

If you think the best way to lose weight, get fit, and improve your diet is to join a gym or hire a personal trainer, you're not alone. But you're not right, said Mary Collins, author of American Idle: A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture, the keynote speaker on November 14 at the New Hampshire Local Government Center's 71^st annual conference, held in Manchester.

How does your organization budget for technology?

If you’re like most small, local governments across New Hampshire, you’re probably quick to call the repair person after a computer breaks down or a mobile device, copier, printer, scanner or anything else connected to the IT system, stops working. But it’s just as likely that you view technology, and the need to pay for it, as a necessary evil.

The development of land often creates an increased need for capital improvements such as new or improved roads and intersections, water and sewer extensions, and street lighting. New Hampshire towns and cities may charge the developer for these costs in two different ways: off-site exactions and impact fees. This article looks at what impact fees are, how they work, and what has changed over the past year.

Impact Fees v. Off-Site Exactions

Sidewalks are part of the public highway, but they present local officials with problems that differ from those seen in the area reserved for automobile traffic. As you consider whether your municipality should have a policy to encourage construction and maintenance of sidewalks, there are several stakeholders whom you should consult. The level of disagreement as to where and how sidewalks should be constructed or maintained may surprise you. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to these questions. Let’s describe several of the differing perspectives.

In New Hampshire, every town receives technical support for making decisions about land use from one of nine Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs). The RPCs were formed by the Legislature to aid and advise municipalities and prepare a coordinated plan for the development of the region. The planning support is used by municipalities for local decisions and to address the many issues that cross municipal borders. With a new three-year, $3.37 million grant from the U.S.

The following is a short discussion about budgeting for major purchases of capital items at the municipal level. Sometimes this will be an important piece of equipment, like a fire truck or a snowplow, but it also includes much larger public works projects, such as a water line or sewer line, which may require years of planning before the actual work begins.

Q. Is there any requirement that a municipality adopt a separate budget for major capital items, like the State legislature creates every two years?