Approved 09/09/26
Secretary Prentice moved to accept May 13 minutes; seconded by John Christ. Voice vote indicated all present in favor; motion passed. Treasurer Report shows LRPC in the black by approximately $3,000 due to favorable investment performance. Staff submitted applications for EPA Brownfields and USDA Solid Waste grants; funding decisions pending. Annual meeting sponsorships total $5,000 from 9 sponsors with 82 registrations. LRPC contracted with Elm Grove Development to write CDBG grants for Plymouth and Hooksett; due end of July. Executive Director Saunders proposed shifting commissioner meetings to webinar format inviting municipal officials, requiring By-Law amendments. Board reached consensus that signing Commitment to Serve and Conflict of Interest forms is required for commissioner eligibility. Chair Ayer recognized John Ayer for his service as he steps down after Annual Meeting. Source: https://lakesrpc.nh.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-06-10-EB-Mtg-Minutes.pdf
LAKES REGION PLANNING COMMISSION 103 Main Street, Suite #3 Meredith, NH 03253 Tel 603.279.8171 www.lakesrpc.nh.gov ALEXANDRIA • ALTON • ANDOVER • ASHLAND • BARNSTEAD • BELMONT • BRIDGEWATER • BRISTOL • CENTER HARBOR • DANBURY EFFINGHAM • FRANKLIN • FREEDOM • GILFORD • GILMANTON • HEBRON • HILL • HOLDERNESS • LACONIA • MEREDITH • MOULTONBOROUGH NEW HAMPTON • NORTHFIELD • OSSIPEE • PLYMOUTH • SANBORNTON • SANDWICH • TAMWORTH • TILTON • TUFTONBORO • WOLFEBORO LRPC Executive Board Meeting Minutes of June 10, 2026 Approved September 9, 2026 PRESENT Jane Alden, John Ayer (Chair), Bill Bolton, Tyler Carmichael, John Christ, David Katz (Vice Chair), David Kerr (Treasurer), Lianne Prentice (Secretary) ABSENT Cristina Ashjian (E), Rod Cameron (E), Stephanie Maltais [alternate] (E), Phil Villari (E) STAFF Shanna Saunders (Executive Director), Linda Waldron (Executive Administrative Assistant) LOCATION LRPC Office, 1st Floor Conference Room, Meredith 1. Call to Order Chair Ayer welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order at 9:02 AM. A quorum was established. 2. Minutes Minutes of the May 13, 2026 Executive Board meeting was presented for approval. Secretary Prentice moved to accept the minutes of May 13th, seconded by John Christ. A voice vote was taken indicating all present were in favor. Motion passed. 3. Finance/Treasurer Report Executive Director Saunders reported that the Treasurer Report reflects that LRPC is currently in the black by approximately $3,000, largely due to favorable investment performance. LRPC is exploring additional revenue sources. There was extensive discussion on the suggestion of investigating charitable gaming opportunities as a revenue source. Another option raised was shifting LRPC under county oversight because of state defunding, though this could disadvantage smaller member towns. The Board also discussed contacting NHDOT to explore the process and timing for achieving Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) status. With the loss of state funding, and it being an election year, Board members were encouraged to urge their communities to engage state legislators to advocate for regional planning funding. Regarding upcoming budget considerations, two grants remain outstanding: EPA Brownfields & USDA Solid Waste. The composting grant has been highly successful and currently has a waiting list for new funding while all Brownfields funds under the current grant have been allocated. New applications for both grants were submitted back in November, and funding decisions are still pending. 4. Monthly Executive Report Current projects were reviewed including HOP grants in three towns (Moultonborough, Sandwich, and Sanbornton) which will be wrapping up this summer. Three new requests for master plan work in Andover, Tamworth, and Tilton have been received. Wolfeboro circuit riding is nearing its conclusion with its hiring of a new planner. There is a CMAQ opportunity coming this fall, which is funding to assist in the reduction of idling at intersections. Members were encouraged to check with their municipalities for any potential intersection projects and to contact LRPC for assistance in applying to DOT. 5. Old Business Annual Meeting Update. Sponsorships received total $5,000 from 9 sponsors (including 3 gold-levels), exceeding last year’s total. Registrations stand at 82. The ticket price was flagged as a potential barrier to attendance. Pricing and venue should be revisited in planning for next year’s event; possibly polling commissioners in September. 6. New Business a. CDBG Grant Opportunities. LRPC has contracted with Elm Grove Development (a private developer) to write two CDBG grants through CDFA; one for the Town of Plymouth and one for the Town of Hooksett. Grants are due at the end of July. This pilot was characterized as having a significant long-term upside, as CDFA anticipates the retirement of 3–4 existing CDBG consultants statewide, creating a potential new service niche for LRPC. LAKES REGION PLANNING COMMISSION 103 Main Street, Suite #3 Meredith, NH 03253 Tel 603.279.8171 www.lakesrpc.nh.gov ALEXANDRIA • ALTON • ANDOVER • ASHLAND • BARNSTEAD • BELMONT • BRIDGEWATER • BRISTOL • CENTER HARBOR • DANBURY EFFINGHAM • FRANKLIN • FREEDOM • GILFORD • GILMANTON • HEBRON • HILL • HOLDERNESS • LACONIA • MEREDITH • MOULTONBOROUGH NEW HAMPTON • NORTHFIELD • OSSIPEE • PLYMOUTH • SANBORNTON • SANDWICH • TAMWORTH • TILTON • TUFTONBORO • WOLFEBORO b. Town Communications/Commissioner Meetings. A proposal was presented by Executive Director Saunders to change the format of commissioner meetings. There seems to be a gap in communication between commissioners and their respective municipalities regarding the information presented during meetings. It was suggested that meetings shift towards a webinar-style format, inviting participation from municipal decision-makers such as planners, town managers, fire and police alongside commissioners. Additional considerations included reducing the number of meeting locations and possibly moving meetings from evening to daytime hours. Adoption of this proposal would require amendments to our By-Laws. This discussion also addressed commissioner onboarding. Along with providing a Commissioner Handbook to new members, a more proactive onboarding process was suggested. This could include a recorded welcome video, an in-person orientation session, and/or the assignment of an Executive Board liaison to support each new commissioner. Plans were made to explore this further. 7. Announcements Executive Board members who wish to update their photographs on the LRPC website are asked to notify Linda as the webpage will likely be updated following the upcoming election. The issue of Commitment to Serve and Conflict of Interest forms and the difficulty in obtaining signatures from some individuals was discussed. Consensus was reached that signing these documents should be required as a condition of service. Appointees who decline to sign will not be eligible to serve as a commissioner. John was recognized for his service as Chair. This was his final Executive Board meeting, as he will be stepping down after the Annual Meeting. 8. Adjournment Chair Ayer adjourned the meeting at 10:35 AM. Respectfully Submitted, Linda Waldron Executive Administrative Assistant Acronyms: CDBG = Community Development Block Grant CDFA = Community Development Finance Authority CMAQ = Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality DOT = Department of Transportation EPA = Environmental Protection Agency HOP = Housing Opportunities Program USDA = United States Department of Agriculture