stepping down from board to speak as member of public

[Guest Robert Plant]

If a member of an elected public board steps down from their seat during a meeting to speak as a member of the public or speciality group can they then come back to their seat during the meeting or have they given up their seat for that meeting?

[Chris Harrison]

RONR doesn't address your question so the answer will need to be found in the body's rules.

[hmtcastle]

If a member of an elected public board steps down from their seat during a meeting to speak as a member of the public or speciality group can they then come back to their seat during the meeting or have they given up their seat for that meeting?

Nothing in RONR requires a board member "step down from their seat" and nothing lets him speak as anything other than a board member at a board meeting. If he wants to speak as someone who is not a member of the board he should do so before or after the board meeting. Or resign from the board. Simply leaving his seat doesn't magically turn him into a non-member of the board. In other words, he can sit or stand wherever he likes but he's still a board member at a board meeting.

Note that there is a rule in RONR by which the chair steps down in order to engage in debate but this should be a rare occurrence and, in any event, the chair continues to speak as a member.