Politics & Government

Guerrera: "Disregard Any Rumors"

State Representative says rumors about Connecticut ferries closing are wrong.

Rep. Antonio Guerrera, D-29, told the Town Council Monday night he is confident that the Connecticut ferries will stay open, despite what rumors people may have heard. 

On July 15, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy submitted if an agreement couldn’t be reached with the unions. Part of that plan included eliminating the ferry services and laying off all eight ferry employees.

Guerrera said there are “a lot of rumors flying around” that the  and Chester-Hadlyme ferries will be shut down, even if the unions approve Malloy’s plan. He assured the council that the rumors are untrue.

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“You should disregard any rumors,” Guerrera, who was invited by the members of the council, said. He is confident that the unions will approve the plan and the ferries will continue to run.

“We are in very, very good shape,” he said. “We have a good chance to have this running for a long, long time.”

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Guerrera advised council members and the general public to attend the on Aug. 22 from 6-8 p.m. at the . There will be a brief presentation followed by public comment.

He has also talked with the head of the Connecticut Tourism and feels the ferry should be on the “front page” of the tourism website.

“This is a beautiful piece of history,” he said.  He is hopeful to meet with secretary of the Office of Policy and Management Benjamin Barnes next week.

Council member Timothy Moriarty said the ferry has to be made more "efficient" and on weekends, the wait time for the ferry needs to be decreased. Guerrera agreed, but said the ferry is more for families and slower, scenic ride.

In other business, the abandonment on Old Dividend Road “remained on the table.” There was no action or discussion on the issue. However, it is expected to be discussed at the Land Acquisition and Farmland Preservation meeting today at 6:30 p.m. in the elevator room at .  

Scott Coleman gave a presentation on a "conceptual plan" for a new town website. After the hour long presentation, no action was taken. 


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