WETHERSFIELD - Milestones in the high school renovation project, support for small businesses and the anticipation of a difficult budget year at the state capitol were among the many topics brought up at Wethersfield’s State of the Town breakfast, which was held last Thursday morning.

       Business owners and other residents who filled the event room of the Keeney Cultural Center heard from Mayor Paul Montinieri, Town Manager Jeff Bridges, Superintendent of Schools Michael Emmett and state Reps. Tony Guerrera and Russ Morin, among others.

       Both Montinieri and Emmett reflected on the latest completed stage of the high school renovation project--the opening of the new gymnasium and music/choral rooms.

       â€�"While we’re on time and on budget, it did not come without challenges,” Montinieri said. â€�"We really have to thank our legislative representatives that are here this morning.”

       It was Morin and Guerrera who helped to secure a space waiver that helped to close a $10 million PCB remediation-related cost overrun. It was that, along with inflated construction costs, that pushed the Town Council and Project Building Committee dangerously close to having to ask taxpayers to make up the difference.

       â€�"We needed a way to fund this that wouldn’t fall back on taxpayers,” Montinieri said.

       And they got it. Now they’ll look to the phase two interior renovations while students and teachers break-in the new spaces.

       â€�"These areas have opened up to rave review from teachers and students alike,” Emmett said. â€�"The boys and girls basketball teams now have a place to call home.”

       At the capitol, towns will get a break as far as any cuts to municipal aid go, but other areas are expected to see reductions, according to Morin. Meanwhile, Guerrera voiced his support for the addition of electronic tolls to highways, pointing to the state’s deteriorating roads and what he says is a downward trend in the amount of revenue generated by Connecticut’s gas tax.

       Wethersfield saw 28 new businesses--an increase from last year’s 21--this past year, according to Economic Development Director Peter Gillispie. The town also retained more than it did the previous year--11 of them stayed. It was only five in 2013.

       â€�"That’s a very positive indication of the business climate in town,” Gillispie said.

       Then there was development, namely the Connecticut Multi-Specialty facility and Hartford Hospital extension, as well as the addition of Chip’s Restaurant, Planet Fitness and Buffalo Wild Wings at the Goff Brook Shops plaza.

       With the town’s own budget process underway, Bridges took a few minutes to breakdown the current $92 million expenditure--72 percent of which is generated by property taxes, he said. The town spends 64 percent of its budget on education.

       He also addressed the town’s new Harris Communications radio system--a replacement of the faulty Motorola equipment that caused communication blackouts in areas of town.

       â€�"Already it’s a much better system, so we’re excited about that,” Bridges said. â€�"In the recent storm, you could monitor every department. You didn’t have to worry about who was listening and who wasn’t.”

       Last year’s State of the Town introduced the state’s Small Business Express Program--grants or loan incentives for job creation and retention. To date, 1200 businesses have been funded under the program to the tune of 17,800 new jobs.