Presidents Message

Slowly the snow is receding and spring is making its way into the Granite State. The rush of spring has kept the Executive Committee (EC) busy researching and responding to the litany of planning related bills making their way through the Legislature, working with several organizations to bring Dan Burden to NH on May 3rd, and planning an amazing NHPA conference in Keene on June 9th and 10th.

The furor of action at the Legislature has energized the EC’s Legislative Subcommittee, chaired by Tim Corwin. The 10 members serving on this subcommittee have put in tremendous energy to help NHPA monitor, report, and testify on legislation and there is still a long way to go. The feedback from the Legislative Survey sent to the membership in mid-March is an important factor in how the subcommittee prioritizes their efforts and time. For more details on the results of the survey check out the Legislative Update and thank you to all the volunteers helping to keep NHPA engaged in this process.

With all of the policy changes in the air the EC was motivated to make a change to NHPA’s Mail Distribution List and Rental Policy as well. After a spike in rental interest this spring, the EC voted to allow outside entities to “rent” NHPA’s email contact list, in addition to our mailing list, for specific purposes as outlined in the existing policy. The change does not give NHPA the right to distribute members email information, instead “renters” can submit a sample mailing in accordance with the policy, to be approved by the EC. If the sample is approved, NHPA will send an email on behalf of the rental organization to your inbox. We welcome your feedback on this policy change and will include this topic for discussion at the Annual Meeting this fall. For more information the full policy is available under the Online Resources tab of NHPA’s website.

Beyond policy changes, the EC is working on two great educational opportunities this spring partnering the disciplines of Planning and Public Health. We are increasingly aware that how communities and neighborhoods are developed has significant impacts on the health and well-being of its population. To that end NHPA has been working in partnership with SNHPC, HEAL NH (Healthy Eating Active Living), and the Manchester Public Health, Parks and Recreation, and Economic Development Departments to compile a series of events on May 3rd in Manchester, aimed at maximizing the potential for NH Planners to meet and learn from Dan Burden, one of the world’s foremost practitioners of creating walkable, livable communities. NHPA is hosting a free Brown Bag lunch at the Manchester Public Health Office from 12 to 1 pm. Other scheduled events for May 3rd include two neighborhood walkablity audits, and an evening presentation and dinner at the Derryfield Country Club in Manchester. For more information and to sign up, please refer to NHPA’s website.

The second upcoming opportunity is NHPA’s Annual Spring Conference - Planning for Public Health. There is a jam-packed agenda under construction with several dynamic speakers, including Mary Collins, the award-winning author of American Idle: A Journey through Our Sedentary Culture and Ben Hewitt, a Vermont farmer and author of The Town that Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food, the inspiring story of Hardwick, Vermont. We hope you will join us at the new Marriott in downtown Keene on June 9th and 10th for this two day conference and to catch up on all that has changed since the snow started falling last December!

Sarah

Sarah Marchant
NHPA President