Off the news: Council to mull sewage rates, sparklers

The Honolulu City Council’s full meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday includes a possible vote to override Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s veto of Bill 22, which would again allow the sale and use of low-impact consumer fireworks such as sparklers and ground fountains on certain holidays.

Also, Bill 60, to raise sewage fees by 9% annually for six years then by 8% and 5% for the next four, gets a first read. The city needs the money to complete federally ordered fixes for the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant ($1.8 billion), and for repairs and upgrades to deteriorating or climate-threatened facilities and infrastructure ($8.3 billion through 2040), officials say.