Westport has not had a town planner since last summer, but help may soon be on the way.

Planning board chairman James Whitin was expected to meet with Town Administrator James Hartnett to go over a job description for the vacant position, which has gone unfilled since Hartnett took over the administrator post last summer, and will advertise the updated position as soon as possible.

Whitin, with a $95,000 planner salary approved at Town Meeting, said he hopes a successful candidate will be found sooner rather than later.

"We're really getting busy with grant applications," he told the select board recently. "It's amazing how much work it is to do that."

And with major projects coming down the pike — wastewater improvements that will benefit The Let, potential new nitrogen regulations from the state Department of Environmental Protection, infrastructural work on Route 6, and a harbor water study — the need for a full time planner will only become more urgent.

"Hopefully, if we get a town planner, we can have the planner and assistant town planner help with all of that," he said.

The upcoming help wanted sign follows up an earlier outreach by the town, which Whitin said drew only a few responses. He hopes drafting a more comprehensive job description will help bring in more applicants.

"I would like to work with (Hartnett) to change it a little bit," he said. Finding a successful candidate versed in grant writing would be a huge and much-needed help to the town, he said:

"Not just for the planning board, but all departments. (There's) so much money on the table."