LIVERMORE FALLS – Members of the Community Development Advisory Committee and the Downtown Merchants Association agreed Monday to hire Pierce-Atwood, a Portland-based consulting firm, to conduct a study of downtown needs.

The hiring followed presentations by the firm and another agency seeking the work.

Town Manager Alan Gove said Tuesday the group decided on Pierce-Atwood after he clarified the company’s fees. It will do the work for the $12,000 that’s available, Gove said.

Gove also said he was comfortable with either Pierce-Atwood or the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments. Both made fine presentations, he indicated, and both stressed the need for local support and effort.

“A lot of the information will come from our townspeople and our businessmen,” he said.

Gove would like to set up a meeting before Christmas, he said, but he realizes the time isn’t ideal for some people so he may try for one right after the holiday.

The time line would aim to have a proposal ready to bring to the annual town meeting in June, seeking permission to apply for and to accept grant money to plan for downtown revitalization.

“In the next five months, we have to squeeze in a lot of community efforts,” he said.

If approval is given at town meeting, the committee would prepare a grant application seeking money from the state Department of Community Development.