KINGFIELD — Selectmen listened to a long-range community development proposal Monday night that would include hiring a professional town planner.

Cynthia Orcutt, chairman of the Village Enhancement Committee created nearly two years ago, suggested several town improvements to take place over an estimated five years.

Goals include traffic management and street-scape improvements, a village green, a riverfront park, a family park and historic walking loops.

Orcutt presented a proposal to hire Rodney Lynch, who would oversee economic development and financing strategies.

Lynch recently retired as the community development director for the town of Rockland. Currently, he works as a community planner for the towns of Thomaston and Waldoboro.

“My understanding is that the town is seeking an experienced person,” he said. “It’s not just about the Village Enhancement Plan; it’s all the other stuff that goes into it.”

He suggested grant funding and included areas the committee could pursue.

“I can also bring resources to the community that you otherwise would not know about,” he said.

He suggested a monthly stipend, rather than a fixed contract over the next several years of project development, and, he noted, there are more communities competing for fewer dollars, so selectmen should plan to contribute a percentage of matching funds.

The town will benefit from more than $1 million in tax increment financing funds through a tax-sheltering agreement with Poland Spring Water Co. The money must be used to upgrade the downtown area.

In the next few years, the Maine Department of Transportation also expects to upgrade the section of Route 27 that runs through the town. The committee’s plans could incorporate an upgrade of sidewalks while maintaining or adding in-town parking spaces.

In other news, selectmen agreed to hear brief presentations from those either for or against Central Maine Power Co.’s smart meter plan.

They also awarded Narrow Gauge Construction the contract to replace the town septic system using for a Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s grant.

Selectmen also decided to rewrite specifications for a Town Office renovation because bids they received were for individual parts of the project. Selectman Merv Wilson will work with Administrative Assistant Douglas Marble on the bid specifications.