N.H. Rev. Stat. § 674:1 — NH Code / Title LXIV / Chapter 674 / Section 1
674:1 Duties of the Planning Board.
Status: in_force

I. It shall be the duty of every planning board established under RSA 673:1 to prepare and amend from time to time a master plan to guide the development of the municipality. A master plan may include consideration of any areas outside the boundaries of the municipality which in the judgment of the planning board bear a relation to or have an impact on the planning of the municipality. Every planning board shall from time to time update and amend the adopted master plan with funds appropriated for that purpose by the local legislative body. In preparing, amending, and updating the master plan: (a) The planning board shall have responsibility for promoting interest in, and understanding of, the master plan of the municipality. In order to promote this interest and understanding, the planning board may publish and distribute copies of the master plan, or copies of any report relating to the master plan, and may employ such other means of publicity and education as it may deem advisable. (b) The planning board shall also have authority to make any investigations, maps and reports, and recommendations which relate to the planning and development of the municipality. II. The planning board may: (a) From time to time report and recommend to the appropriate public officials and public agencies programs for the development of the municipality, programs for the erection of public structures, and programs for municipal improvements. Each program shall include recommendations for its financing. It shall be part of the planning board's duties to consult with and advise public officials and agencies, public utility companies, civic organizations, educational organizations, professional organizations, research organizations, and other organizations, and to consult with citizens, for the purposes of protecting or carrying out of the master plan as well as for making recommendations relating to the development of the municipality. (b) Upon request advise the governing body as to whether proposed ordinances and bylaws regarding the maintenance and operation of stormwater systems under RSA 149-I:6, I-a are consistent with the master plan. III. Members of the planning board, when duly authorized by the board as a whole, may attend municipal planning conferences or meetings, or hearings upon pending municipal planning legislation. The planning board may by majority vote authorize the payment of reasonable expenses incident to such attendance. IV. The planning board, and its members, officers, and employees, in the performance of their functions may, by ordinance, be authorized to enter upon any land and make such examinations and surveys as are reasonably necessary and place and maintain necessary monuments and marks and, in the event consent for such entry is denied or not reasonably obtainable, to obtain an administrative inspection warrant under RSA 595-B. V. The planning board may, from time to time, recommend to the local legislative body amendments of the zoning ordinance or zoning map or additions thereto. VI. In general, the planning board may be given such powers by the municipality as may be necessary to enable it to fulfill its functions, promote municipal planning, or carry out the purposes of this title. Such powers shall not include regulating timber harvesting operations that are not part of a subdivision application or a development project subject to site plan review under this chapter. VII. The planning board may vote to designate any property recommended to it as appropriate for development as a residential use by the select board pursuant to RSA 41:11-a, IV, as appropriate for development for residential use and forward a description of said property to the office of planning and development pursuant to RSA 12-O:55, VIII.