Politics & Government
Waterbury Passes Ban On Hourly Hotel Room Rates: Reports
The move comes as the city is working to curb illegal activity that officials said occurs at rooms rented by the hour.
WATERBURY, CT — The Waterbury Board of Aldermen has unanimously passed a ban on hourly hotel and motel room rates, NBC CT reported.
Mayor Paul Pernerewski Jr. proposed the ordinance, which is aimed at reducing illegal activity and prohibits renting rooms for less than 12 hours at a time.
Pernerewski said that hourly room rentals are associated with prostitution, sex trafficking, drug use, and other illegal activity, adding that these crimes "drag down the neighborhood, the quality of life for everyone in Waterbury," according to NBC CT.
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Michael Digiovancaelo, president of the Board of Aldermen, said that trafficking in particular is a problem and that there are "a lot of minors involved," WTNH News-8 reported.
Fines for those violating the ordinance start at $50 per day, but the board is looking to increase that to $250 per day by next year.
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Pernerewski said there are two hotels in the city that have rented hourly in the past.
Read more at WTNH News-8.
Read more at NBC CT.
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