Norwich — The Board of Public Utilities Commissioners wants to know how long NPU General Manager John Bilda will be asked to serve as acting city manager and what progress the City Council has made in a search for a new permanent city manager.

At the direction of the full commission, Chairman James Sullivan sent a letter to Mayor Deberey Hinchey and all members of the City Council April 24 asking a number of questions about the city manager search and whether city officials have given any consideration to “cost sharing or reimbursement of costs associated with this temporary situation.”

Bilda was named acting city manager Feb. 3 after former City Manager Alan Bergren resigned in what was called a mutual agreement between him and the council. NPU continues to pay Bilda his full general manager salary of $188,801. The salary for the city manager is $127,500 in this year’s budget.

Hinchey said the City Council has put the search process on the back burner until the contentious city budget process is completed. She said she will respond to Sullivan’s concerns on Monday.

Sullivan’s letter also noted that at times other NPU employees have been asked to work at City Hall to support Bilda, who has been spending nearly all of his time at City Hall on city management duties.

“These important and separate roles should not be filled by one person for an extended period of time,” Sullivan wrote. “It places strain on the other employees at NPU, some that have been asked to support Mr. Bilda in his role in City Hall.”

Sullivan also raised a question about whether Bilda’s current role as supervisor of city employees will have an effect on his future ability to work with them as peers on various cooperative issues when he returns to NPU.

“More clarity and more cooperation between our respective bodies will help make this temporary situation work best for all,” Sullivan wrote.

The City Council appointed itself as the search committee for a new city manager after Bergren’s departure. Under state law, the search committee can meet in secret without posting meeting notices. The search committee has met at least twice and is in the process of obtaining quotes from professional search firms.

Hinchey said the issue of compensation for Bilda’s term as acting city manager has not been addressed by either city officials or NPU.

“Those issues will have to be discussed when I talk to John and Jim on Monday,” Hinchey said.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday