Preston — The Ethics Commission will ask residents to approve an overhaul of the town's ethics code, including reducing the size of the commission, at a January town meeting.

The commission voted 3-1 at a special meeting Tuesday to approved the proposed revisions, with member Norman Gauthier objecting to language that would allow a majority of the commission to act on complaints that come before the commission.

The revisions call for changing the size of the commission from the current five regular members, three alternates and a non-voting investigative member to three regular members and three alternates. The investigator position would be eliminated, “since the commission can undertake its own investigation,” the proposed changes said.

In another section, the language change states that a vote of two members — a majority of the proposed three-member commission — would constitute that there is probable cause that an ethics violation has occurred.

Gauthier objected to that provision, saying the code should require a unanimous vote of the three members to certify that there is probable cause for a potential ethics violation.

“If we're going to reduce to three members, a decision that could damage the reputation of a town employee or official ought to be unanimous,” Gauthier said.

Gauthier said he wants to avoid the potential of having as few as two people “tarnishing” an employee's or official's reputation.

Later Tuesday, Commission Chairman Hank Podraza asked the Board of Selectmen to schedule a town meeting to review and vote on the proposed changes. Selectmen scheduled the town meeting for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at Town Hall.

Gauthier raised his objection to the majority vote provision before the Board of Selectmen and asked selectmen to send the proposed code changes back to the Ethics Commission with instructions to change that provision.

Selectman Michael Sinko said any such change would have to be reviewed by residents at a town meeting, where someone could move to amend the code. First Selectman Robert Congdon agreed, and said it would not be up to the selectmen to “micromanage” the actions of the commission.

Podraza also asked the Board of Selectmen to create a more formal process for a provision that requires all newly elected officials, appointed officials and new town employees to undergo ethics training — including a review of the ethics code and hypothetical scenarios available on the town website — prior to being sworn in to office.

Congdon said the ethics training for new employees could be made part of orientation, and forms for certifying that appointed agency and commission members had taken the training could be provided when the town clerk swears them in.

But selectmen questioned whether the town could require the ethics training of elected officials. Congdon said he would check with the town attorney on whether the requirement would comply with state law.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday