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Board debates requiring physical presence for quorum and presiding officer
Summary
Members discussed adding 'physically present' language to quorum and presiding-officer rules, weighing practicality against the desire to prevent virtual chairs from running meetings; no final vote recorded and staff will return with wording options.
Board members spent an extended portion of the workshop debating whether to require physical presence for quorum and for the presiding officer to be physically present to chair meetings.
Some members argued adding the word "physically" before "present" would prevent future chairs from attempting to run meetings virtually and would improve meeting management, especially for public comment. Others said such a rule could limit flexibility in rare circumstances (illness, family emergencies) and that the board could address exceptions later. One participant proposed a fallback clause: if the chair is not physically present, the vice chair presides; if neither is physically present, the board may vote to designate a presiding officer, or the chair/vice chair attending virtually could be asked to preside if the board agrees.
Members acknowledged the scenario is unlikely but discussed whether policy should constrain future boards. The group leaned toward adding language requiring physical presence for the presiding officer but left specific wording to staff to draft and return to a future workshop.
The meeting concluded with the chair thanking participants and adjourning; no formal votes on the quorum/presiding-officer language were recorded in the transcript.
