SAUGUS – During the same night Selectmen commended and reappointed two longtime volunteers on two different boards, they also lamented the fact the not as many people seem to be interested in volunteering.The town operates with 23 boards and committees and all but the Selectmen and the Housing Authority are run by appointed volunteers. When a position on a board opens, the town manager or the Board of Selectmen post the opening asking residents to submit letters of interest. Those who apply are then interviewed and an appointment is made.Or sometimes, as was the recent case with the Cemetery Commission and the Cultural Council, no one applies.Board members gratefully and graciously reappointed Mary Carfagna to the Planning Board and Joseph Vinard to the Board of Health during a meeting earlier this month. Both were hailed as excellent public servants who go above and beyond the call of duty.Later during the same meeting however, Selectman Peter Rossetti asked his colleagues to extend the posting period for the Cemetery Commission and Cultural Council due to a lack of interest.”After saying how happy we are with our volunteers, I’m sorry to say we only got one letter of interest,” he said. “Both are really important boards.”Wendy Reed, clerk to the Selectmen said since that reposting she has received two letters of interest for the Cemetery Commission and one for the Cultural Council.Town Manager Andrew Bisignani said residents should be thankful for the few that do give their time but also noted that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get people to serve.”Especially for for an unpaid position that takes way from work and family time,” he said.Bisignani also said it is not unusual to see the same people come out and volunteer over and over again.Selectman Stephen Horlick said he believes the economy, in part, is playing into the choices to volunteer or not to volunteer.”People have so much on their plate,” he said. “I think they are more concerned with paying bills.”Horlick said many of the volunteer positions are in essence part-time jobs.”If your married and you have kids, you come home from work and by the time you get to sit down and actually have five-minutes to yourself it’s 9 o’clock at night,” he said.Horlick said he also believes it’s cyclical. There have been times when the town has posted a board of committee opening and had seven people apply and instances, such as recently, when no one has applied.”Look at the Cable Commission,” he said. “I think we had to advertise three times to get that going but now they are jelling really well.”He is, however, a little concerned about the future of boards such as Carfagna’s and the Zoning Board, when some of the long-term volunteers do retire.”There will be a time when they finally step down,” he said. “Like (Conservation Officer) Frank McKinnon – who’s waiting in the wings to take Frank’s position??We’ll need people to get up to speed quickly on the issues.”Bisignani said the town should be thankful for the volunteers it does have.”There are some very dedicated individuals serving,” he said. “From the amount of time they spend in an unpaid position, they do an excellent job.”