The hostile board member above found the opportunity to criticize our beleaguered airport director on the second submitted draft of the 1992 budget. The director responded by recruiting the member to an ad hoc budget committee. This brilliantly positioned the board member to be part of the solution, not part of the criticism. That way you don't have to remember anything. That way you make it someone else's problem.
Boards are generally sympathetic to acts of omission.
It's the act of commission, when you deliberately lie, that can get you in trouble. Perhaps the public nature of the meeting is an inappropriate place to discuss a sensitive issue. Anyway, it's a good technique for buying time. If you are truly taken by surprise, you can frequently postpone addressing the issue at hand, at least until the next meeting. A week or two delay might serve to cool off the criticisms or help you line up your responses to be most effective and least emotional.