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Planning board member relays MACO advice on abstention: declare, step back, consider leaving the room
Summary
Rose Nyman told the commission that a MACO attorney advised members who plan to abstain on an agenda item should declare the abstention when the chair calls the item, not participate in the discussion, and consider leaving the room to avoid distraction.
During public comment Rose Nyman, identifying herself as a member of the planning board and a long‑time local board chair, reported training she had attended with a Montana Association of Counties (MACO) attorney. Nyman said the attorney advised that if a member plans to abstain from a vote they should declare that abstention when the chairman calls the agenda item, avoid participating in the subsequent discussion, and — where feasible — leave the room to prevent distraction.
Nyman said some boards found physically leaving the room disruptive during meetings, but she relayed that the MACO attorney recommended leaving when feasible. Chairman Huotte took the comment for the record; no formal action followed from public comment.
Why it matters: The guidance speaks directly to meeting procedure and how members should manage conflicts or perceived conflicts of interest during deliberations.
