Tourism Funds, Arrigoni Bridge Lighting Boons to County

As February comes to an end, the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce continues to be active in issues at the local and statewide level.

Last week, I testified in front of the state Transportation Committee with Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, Portland First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield and Middletown Councilman Ron Klattenberg on behalf of the Chamber in support of House Bill 6153, An Act Concerning the Installation of Energy Efficient Lighting on the Arrigoni Bridge. I also testified on  HB 5944, which calls for the DOT to replace the bridge over the Mattabasett River.

Those of us who live and work in Middlesex County are proud of the Arrigoni Bridge, which is a landmark in Connecticut. The installation of these lights is a great economic development project that will make the bridge a signature site for motorists and residents along the Connecticut River.

Also, the lights on the bridge will be energy-efficient and put the state and county on the leading edge of green technology. The Arrigoni can be the first bridge in the nation to use grid-tied solar energy to power its LED lights.

The project has the potential to greatly increase tourism to the region and to our state at a time when all of us look for ways to boost tourism in Connecticut and promote it as an economic generator.

The lighting of the Arrigoni Bridge has been in the works since 1994 and is a project that is long overdue. All of the factors have come together and now is the right time to make this project happen. The chamber works closely with the city of Middletown and town of Portland to create a strong economic region on either side of the bridge. 

With the upcoming construction and repair to the bridge, it would be smart to install the lights on the bridge during this construction process.

We also work with the Middlesex County legislative delegation, the state Department of Transportation, and all other stakeholders involved in this project to make sure it reaches its potential.

It is very important to promote tourism in the state, but we must promote it in the proper ways. One way that won't promote this industry is through Senate Bill 1022, An Act Establishing Tourism Marketing Funding.

While the bill is well-intentioned, it is off the mark because it will raise the tax on a hotel stay in Connecticut from 12 percent to 15 percent at the worst possible time for hotel owners and operators. The lodging industry in the state has been hurt over the past few years and this tax is the wrong solution at this time.

The chamber strongly supports funding for tourism initiatives in Middlesex County and Connecticut. Levying a tax on hotel stays to fund this particular initiative is not the answer. I look forward to working with members of the General Assembly, the CT Lodging Association and other stakeholders to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

I thank Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman for making the rounds throughout our divisions throughout February. We had huge crowds at the Westbrook Division Tuesday and East Haddam/Haddam Division Thursday.

I thank the local legislators of Middlesex County for attending the chamber’s Legislative Breakfast Feb. 25. State Reps. Christie Carpino, Joe Serra, Matt Lesser and Phil Miller and state Sens. Paul Doyle and Ed Meyer attended.

There were 100 business and municipal leaders from the county who attended. The new format to the event was also a big hit. The entire meeting was dedicated to a live question-and-answer session with the legislators.

Dialogue like this is why it is so important to have good, working relationships with our elected leaders.

For information, contact Matt Fraulino at (860) 347-6924 or e-mail matthew@middlesexchamber.com.