Working as the Regional Planning Commission and Metropolitan
Planning Organization for the Southern New Hampshire Region.
Planning Organization for the Southern New Hampshire Region.
OFFICE ADDRESS
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ABOUT THE COMMISSIONWhat is the SNHPC? The SNHPC region includes the City of Manchester and the towns of Auburn, Bedford, Candia, Chester, Deerfield, Derry, Goffstown, Hooksett, Londonderry, New Boston, Raymond and Weare. The region encompasses portions of Hillsborough, Merrimack and Rockingham counties. Executive Order Number Fifteen, issued by former Governor Walter Peterson, delineated the SNHPC region. The main functions of the SNHPC are to increase communication; promote intergovernmental cooperation and coordination between planning boards and local officials; promote coordinated development of the region; prepare and adopt regional plans, including policies and strategies for the region; and perform other acts or functions as deemed appropriate to fulfill its duties. Why was the SNHPC established? In the early 1960s, representatives from six communities (Manchester, Auburn, Bedford, Goffstown, Hooksett, and Londonderry) recognized the need for, and the value of, comprehensive transportation and land use planning. That cooperative venture, assisted by the state and federal governments, led the six communities to formally organize the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission in August, 1966 under the provisions of New Hampshire RSA, Chapter 36, as a means of establishing an on-going planning process. Since that time, the remaining communities of Candia, Chester, Deerfield, Derry, New Boston, Raymond and Weare have joined the Commission. By 1982, all 13 communities had become, and remain, dues-paying members of the SNHPC. Who governs the Commission? A board of 44 local representatives, called the Board of Commissioners, who represent the 13 member-communities in the region, governs the SNHPC. The Commissioners are appointed by the governing bodies of the member municipalities upon the recommendation of their respective planning boards, as outlined in RSA 36:46. An Executive Committee, consisting of 24 commissioners, is elected from the membership of the full Board of Commissioners to provide overall policy direction and guidance, and to administer the Commissioners financial and operational affairs. An Executive Director is appointed by the Commission to manage and supervise the day-to-day operations of the Commission and its staff under the general direction provided by the Executive Committee and the Board of Commissioners. Role of federal and state agencies in Commission affairs Certain federal and state agencies provide the Commission with financial resources to help support programs that address regional needs and priorities, many of which are established by the Commission. Among the agencies providing funding assistance to the Commission are the United States Department of Transportation, administered by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation; the United States Environmental Protection Agency, administered by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services; the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning; and the New Hampshire Bureau of Emergency Management. Services offered to the Communities Typical examples of basic services commonly provided to the dues-paying member municipalities are as follows:
SNHPC serves as an MPO The 1973 Federal Highway Act required that federal highway construction funds could only be spent on those urbanized areas that had a metropolitan planning organization in place and conducted transportation planning on a cooperative, comprehensive and continuous fashion. Through the Metropolitan Manchester Planning Study (MMPS), conducted in the 1960s, local municipalities, state and federal agencies gained valuable experience in working cooperatively in the transportation planning process. The SNHPC, which was an outgrowth of the MMPS, was consequently considered the logical choice for designation as the metropolitan planning organization for the Manchester area. Governor Meldrim Thomson made this designation on December 31, 1973, thereby enabling the Commission to expend certain transportation planning funds for approved transportation planning purposes in this area. With the 1991 adoption of the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the SNHPC maintained its designation as an MPO, but the geographic area for transportation planning and programming responsibilities was expanded to include all 13 communities within the Commissioners current jurisdiction. How does the MPO designation affect the SNHPC region? The MPO designation expands the Commissioners role in many different ways. Two major responsibilities have been assigned to the Commission through federal transportation legislation and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The Commission has the responsibility of performing air quality conformity analyses and providing assistance to the NHDOT in making the determination that plans and projects are in conformance with the State Implementation Plan (SIP). The SIP is the State of New Hampshire's action plan for reducing emissions over a specified time period. In order for the Commission to assess the impact of vehicle emissions on air quality, it must use the output from the travel demand forecasting model. Who directs the MPO process? The Board of Commissioners of the SNHPC, with state and federal transportation officials, provide the overall direction for the transportation planning process. To this end, the policy board of the MPO meets on an as needed basis in conjunction with the Commissioners regular monthly meeting. What are the primary functions of the MPO? As defined by federal and state transportation regulations, the primary functions of the MPO are to:
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