WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — A proposal by Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski, Jr. to eliminate the option for pay-by-the-hour motel rooms was unanimously approved during a public hearing on Monday.

The proposal came out of the mayor's office and straight to the Waterbury Board of Aldermen. The mayor said that nothing good can come out of anybody renting the room by the hour.

"It's being used for prostitution, for drug use, or in some cases, for sex trafficking," Pernerewski, Jr. said.

The mayor says it's been going on too long, and starting to escalate.

"We seem to have a lot of trafficking, a lot of minors involved... If we can help curb that activity, we're looking forward to doing it," Michael Digiovancaelo said, the president of the Board of Aldermen.

The city made it illegal to rent

See Full Page