Big plans, little cash: new Nashua Regional Planning Commission chief sees growing demands, fewer resources.

The rough economy means less money for the Nashua Regional Planning Commission, even though its member communities' needs are growing.

"My main focus is to make sure we provide the high-quality services that our members expect," said Kerrie Diers, the new executive director of the commission. "Under tough budget times, that's a chore," said Diers, who replaced former director Steve Williams on May 4.

Williams resigned to take a similar planning position in Virginia. Diers had been the NRPC's assistant director for four years.

One impact of the recession is that the state has cut NRPC's transportation funding by 20 percent, Diers said during an interview at the regional agency's office on Executive Park Drive near Exit 11 of the EE. Everett Turnpike.

In response, the NRPC has frozen dues, and has asked communities to list priorities for the agency's assistance. "With tight budgets and people losing staff, I think that is something we can do very well," Diers said.

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The NRPC, which covers Nashua and 12 surrounding towns, provides individual planning services to communities to support planning staff. It also conducts studies and offers technical expertise beyond what community planning staffs can do.

For some communities, NRPC provides planning services. Litchfield, Wilton and Mason have an NRPC "circuit rider" who works with the planning boards individually and helps with such things as writing ordinances and other planning-staff functions, Diers said.

The NPRC is funded partly through local dues, which account for about $155,000, or 9 percent of a total budget of $1.7 million. Federal and state grants provide matching funds, and the local dues help provide the match.

Traditionally, the NRPC does planning work in the areas of transportation, land use, environment and GIS mapping. As the new executive director, Diers wants to focus more on two initiatives: energy planning and economic development.

Though a graduate of the Vermont Law School and a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association, Diers said she as a strong background in economic development with the state government, the central region and the town of Pembroke.

More communities will be looking to conduct economic development studies with NRPC help as a way to be proactive in preparing for the economy to turn around, Diers said. "A lot of communities are taking the time now to make sure that the ordinances they have are the ones that will help them to kind of catch that wave when it comes back," Diers said.

"Part of the economic development initiatives I'd like to take is to make sure the communities are positioned well going forward," she said. "Economic development touches every single thing that we do."

The NRPC also will continue working with the state on transportation issues, including reestablishing commuter rail from Concord through Nashua to Lowell, Mass., Diets said.

"Our main, No. 1 priority is to work with the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority to get commuter rail in the state. There's a lot of work going on right now on that front," Diers said

The NRPC is conducting its own study looking at rail between Lowell and Nashua, and also has a delegate on the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority.

The agency took over the study from the state in 2003 at the time Williams came on as executive director.

Meanwhile, the NRPC also is wrapping up a study of potential sites in Nashua for a commuter rail station. The results will be presented in a public forum sometime this summer, Diers said.--PATRICK MEIGHAN/THE TELEGRAPH