The Board of Selectmen made several re-appointments to town boards and committees Tuesday, which sparked a heated discussion about whether there should be a cap on how many boards volunteers can serve on.

Selectman Walter Cruz said that serving on several committees could present a conflict of interest, especially on powerful boards, so volunteers should be limited to serving on two.

"This will ensure the highest level of integrity," said Cruz.

The conversation was spurred by the re-appointment of citizen Sandy Slavin to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) and the Open Space Committee. The CPC is made up of members from other boards. Slavin is the representative from the Conservation Commission. She serves on five boards and commissions.

Selectmen Chair Jane Donahue and member Brenda Eckstrom cited the lack of volunteers for town committees as an ongoing problem.

"If you have people out there who are willing to serve on more than one committee, I have no problem with that," Donahue said.

Selectman Steve Holmes said he agreed with Cruz.

"Even if you had a lot of time to volunteer, I don't think that somebody should serve on more than three committees for the town," Holmes said. "We're starting to see more people apply [for boards and committees.] We need to market that ... and get more people involved in the process."

Slavin, who went to the meeting after watching the discussion on television, said she did not consider herself in conflict by serving on more than one board.

"Yes, there should be more people volunteering, and they're not," Slavin said. "Because there's openings on my boards, I don't think I'm taking it away from anybody who's not stepping up to help."

The Selectmen seemed to agree that one person should not serve as chair on more than one committee. However, the Board took no action on the matter Tuesday.

In other business:

• Selectmen approved an application that will allow Stephen Beranger, owner of Stevie B's Onset Sports Resort on Onset Avenue, to add six tables of outdoor seating on a new patio.
• Selectmen appointed Elizabeth McDonald to the Council on Aging, and Francis Larry McDonald to the Library Board of Trustees.
• Selectmen announced that the Council on Aging is in need of canned goods for Wareham residents. Donations can be dropped off at the Council on Aging in the Multi Service Center, 48 Marion Road.