An effort to establish a Board of Sewer Commissioners separate from the Board of Selectmen faces an uncertain future, after Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday to discontinue discussion of legislation that would establish a separate board.

“I don’t see that there is a great need to create an entirely new board,” said Selectman Peter Teitelbaum.

Currently, the Selectmen serve as sewer commissioners. In October of 2010, Town Meeting voters approved changing the Town Charter to create an elected board of five sewer commissioners to oversee the sewer system and its finances.  Voters argued that the dual role of Selectman and Sewer Commissioner was too much work for the volunteer Selectmen.

Because such a charter change requires the approval of the state Legislature, it was submitted to Senator Marc Pacheco to take through the approval process. Lawyers questioned some aspects for the change, and it was never formally filed with the State Senate.

A similar proposal was resubmitted to Town Meeting this fall, but was tabled for further study.

On Tuesday, Selectman Cara Winslow noted some of her objections to the 2012 proposal: “The article that was submitted in 2012 takes the Director of the Water Pollution Control facility out from under the control of the Town Administrator,” and puts control in the hands of the elected sewer commission.

Winslow expressed concern that having this and other positions under the purview of a separate elected board could lead to a lack of “consistency.”

“The article we were presented with [in 2012] didn’t come from a committee,” said Selectman Ellen Begley. “I don’t think I’d support anything going forward in the spring.”

Though the Selectmen won't be bringing a proposal to Town Meeting, another board, committee, or even a group of private citizen petitioners could craft an article for voters to consider.