KINGFIELD — With the town meeting less than a month away, selectmen heard a plea Monday to reconsider their support for a downtown development project.

Village Enhancement Committee member Polly MacMichael suggested that former committee Chairwoman Cynthia Orcutt’s proposal should be reconsidered at the June town meeting.

In April, Orcutt presented selectmen with a plan to landscape property at Main and Depot streets. She and her husband, John, own a home on the property, and they and other abutting property owners, including Skowhegan Savings Bank, would provide an easement for town use.

Her proposal included a loan for the project that the town could pay back with annual Tax Increment Financing funds.

Selectmen declined to support the option, suggesting that the town should not be obligated to borrow approximately $350,000 for the landscaping project. The Budget Committee also declined to support the project.

The loan proposal would be on the town meeting warrant in June, but MacMichael explained that she was concerned that voters would be prejudiced against the project.

MacMichael told selectmen that they may have misunderstood many of the important details about the scope of the project. She did a quick recap of the committee’s history, starting in 2007, when the town approved a plan for economic development.

The new Village Enhancement Committee had developed a list of projects that would address those goals.

Residents said they wanted a pedestrian-centered village, slow down traffic, better crosswalks and other features.

“Roads and sidewalks will be improved, walking loops have been designed, and the town has a park next to the town hall,” she said.

The Wright-Pierce engineering firm’s estimate of $359,000 includes completion of the entire project at the maximum costs, but some of the more expensive parts of the project could be eliminated or postponed, she suggested.

The town has money set aside for village improvement projects, so the loan amount would be less that what people assumed, MacMichael explained.

“There’s $100,000 in that (TIF) account right now, leaving $259,000,” she said. “You could shave a whole bunch of money off that.”

With annual TIF funds available for repayment of the loan, the cost to taxpayers will be nonexistent.

The Orcutts had withdrawn their agreement to provide an easement, Selectman Wade Browne said.

“It looked like if we didn’t do it the way they wanted, they’d take their ball and go home,” he said.

Selectmen and MacMichael agreed that the project costs needed to be clearly defined and that taxpayers needed a better explanation of the concept at the town meeting if the Village Enhancement Committee expected to receive support.

In other news, Wastewater Superintendent Mike Shirley and selectmen revisited the town’s option to offer wastewater pumping services for nonresidents. Prices are lower than those a private company would charge for the same service.

Selectmen have never set a flat rate, and office staff receive requests for price quotes for the service. Although the town is insured to do the work, the costs needed to be more in line with private companies’ rates.

“We should raise our price to be consistent with the industry,” Selectman Brian Hatfield said.

Other selectmen agreed.

Administrative Assistant Leanna Targett presented selectmen with a list of speed limit changes on town streets and roads.

Hatfield questioned whether the 40-mph limit on Riverside Street is too fast for that area.

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