BUCKFIELD — Selectmen voted 2-0 Tuesday night to continue with a three-member board and not consider a request for a town meeting article calling for five.

John Lowell and Eileen Hotham voted in favor of keeping the board number as is; Robin Buswell abstained from voting.

Tony Bachelder requested the article be placed on the warrant for a special town meeting scheduled for February. It would have given candidates time to file nomination papers before the annual town meeting in June, he said..

However, Buswell and Lowell voted Tuesday night not to hold the special town meeting, which was to consider an ordinance for the Green Energy Alliance PACE program. Hotham abstained from voting because she is on the Green Alliance board.

The ordinance would have allowed residents to secure low interest loans to winterize their homes.

Hotham said she was not in favor of a five-member board until she could see “more people step up to the plate.” She also pointed out that it would cost the town more money.

Bachelder said it would save the town money and they could give the five a raise and eliminate one town position. He also pointed out that there were two other candidates in last November running for the one vacant seat.

After the meeting, Bachelder said the position he was referring to was that of the town manager.

In other news, resident Brian Bennett asked each selectman and Town Manager Glen Holmes what they would do if employees didn’t report to work on time, were not doing the job they were supposed to be doing, or were at home when they were supposed to be working.

Buswell said he would have a policy and have employees under contract. The employee would be given a verbal warning, then two written warnings and then dismissed.

 Hotham and Lowell agreed.

 Bennett then asked Holmes what he would do.

“I want to thank this board for giving me approval to make some changes that needed changing,” he said, without further explanation.

The quarterly Swap Shop report was given, showing that nearly 40 tons of items had been weighed out of the shop in 2010. This was an increase over 31 tons for the year 2009. Many people were helped with items they needed, the report added.

 The first Nezinscot River cleanup is scheduled for April 15 with Buckfield High School seniors leading the effort.