Managing director opposes bill to impose 15‑day hold on intergovernmental agreements; committee defers

The Committee on International and Legal Affairs deferred Bill 47 after extensive discussion about the operational effects of requiring council notice and a 15‑day waiting period on intergovernmental agreements.
Managing Director Mike Formby told the committee he opposed the bill as drafted. Formby said the proposal’s threshold (described in the text as IGAs of "$30,000,000 or less") and a 15‑day automatic hold would “tie the hands of the administration” and could render post‑hoc arrangements void. He said the administration frequently coordinates quickly with state and federal partners on matters such as road access and homelessness programs and that many routine intergovernmental arrangements are memorialized only after work begins.
Member Warner asked whether narrowing the bill to federal agreements would limit the impact; Formby said he was unsure where to draw a legal line and that limiting the bill to specific federal partners (for example, Department of Homeland Security or ICE) might be more restrictive. One council member noted a staffing shortage in the Honolulu Police Department and said any agreement that would pull officers into federal work would be concerning.
After debate, the chair recommended deferral and said he would work with the bill author and the administration to refine details. Several members said they are open to discussion but that they worry a broad, inflexible requirement would hamper municipal operations and emergency responses.