NEWINGTON - Six months in office, and Mayor Roy Zartarian has moved the Town Hall renovation project, improved relations with the Board of Education, and Grand List-driving transit oriented development-or as he calls it, �"town oriented development”-to the top of his priority list.

       Most of the objectives aren’t new, but he took the time to catch residents up on any new developments in those areas-among others-at a Kiwanis Club-hosted open forum held at Paradise Pizza in New Britain Monday night.

       The event was attended by around 15 Kiwanis Club members and town residents, as well as Democratic Town Councilors Carol Anest and Diana Serra. NCTV personality Steve Parker facilitated the discussion, which involved mostly a question and answer session with Zartarian.

       The mayor turned first to the Town Hall project-currently with its third building committee-outlining priorities that include working closely with the Newington Public Library as they prepare for their own expansion.

       â€�"We have the two projects basically right next to each other, and what we don’t want is duplication,” Zartarian said. â€�"We need to keep the line of communication open.”

       He seemed optimistic about the prospect of renovating the building for close to $25 million-the cost projected by consultants from the Hamden-based DTC. While the town may be able to get more out of a reconstruction approach, when money is factored into the decision, renovation is probably the way to go, Zartarian said when asked which option he’d prefer.

       â€�"If the town were in a better situation, I’d take a hard look at reconstruction,” he said. â€�"We’re not in a great fiscal situation. Big drop in state aid. We’ve encountered tax payer resistance. While the Grand List grew, it grew not because of any additions, but existing property going up in market value.”

       Zartarian had raised some of these issues during the budget discussion, which saw Republican Councilors and the Board of Education at odds over a proposed flat funding for the schools. The town side, as critics of the proposed 0 percent pointed out, saw an increase of 3.5 percent.

       â€�"There were differences of opinion,” Zartarian said. â€�"It was a tough decision.”

       Ultimately, the two parties agreed to a 1.2 percent increase-an added 0.5 percent from the town and $500,000 of the Board’s own leftover funds, which were to be transferred to a new surplus retention account.

       Since then, both sides have expressed the desire to begin communicating their goals further ahead of budget time, with Board member Steve Silvia suggesting that the two sides set up joint priority-sharing meetings.

       â€�"It looks like both parties have come around and things are warming up between the two,” Zartarian said. â€�"We’re getting back on track.”

       One attendee asked about steps that could be taken to grow the Grand List, to which Zartarian turned to the town’s two CT FasTrak stations.

       â€�"Those are areas that have a potential to aid the Grand List,” he said.

       But any development in the area has to fit the character and needs of the town, Zartarian said. To that end, the Town Planning and Zoning Commission, (TPZ) has been working on new regulations for the Cedar Street/Fenn Road and Newington Junction station areas.

       The former was completed just a few months ago, with hearings on Newington Junction set to begin over the next few weeks.

       Zartarian said that he would also focus on making the town more â€�"business-friendly” to current enterprises.

       â€�"If existing businesses are successful, it’ll be bait for new businesses coming into town,” he said.