Norwich – The Board Commissioners of Public Utilities is growing “impatient” with the apparent lack of progress in the search for a new city manager as Norwich Public Utilities General Manager John Bilda will complete his sixth month as acting city manager at the end of July.

“We want John Bilda back doing his job as general manager at NPU as soon as possible,” utilities commission Chairman James Sullivan said Monday.

Bilda was named by the City Council as acting city manager Feb. 2, the night City Manager Alan Bergren resigned under pressure, with NPU continuing to pay his $188,801 salary. The City Council appointed itself as the official search committee, but Mayor Deberey Hinchey said the council put the search on hold during the spring budget session.

Hinchey will give the utilities commission an update during its July 28 meeting. On Monday, Hinchey said hiring a search consulting firm – the next step in the process – is not on the July 20 City Council agenda. She declined further comment until the utility commission meeting.

“There is a growing sense of impatience among the commissioners,” Sullivan said Monday. “The general sense is that things could have been handled better at the outset, but also there’s a sense that the commission wanted to be cooperative with the city.”

Sullivan said the impatience stems from the lack of a time schedule and target date for hiring a new city manager.

While Sullivan said NPU continues to operate smoothly with Bilda’s management team in charge for the most part, but the commission wants its leader back in place.

“There is something that gets lost because the leadership is not there,” he said.

NPU is working on several projects that need attention, including a proposed $100 million sewage treatment plant upgrade. NPU officials are discussing delays in the project and financing issues regarding the state and federal grants and loans at this time, Sullivan said.

Utilities commission member Larry Goldman said Monday he remains frustrated at the lack of progress and said the commission should consider asking for a share of Bilda’s salary. The commission sent a letter to Hinchey in April asking a question of whether the City Council had considered sharing his salary. During the past six months, some NPU support staff also has joined Bilda at times at City Hall, carrying out dual duties.

“It just appears they are dragging their heels on this thing,” Goldman said, “and there’s no urgency to get this thing settled. It’s unfair to us and unfair to our customers. We’re probably going to have to force the issue. We put the salary in to force the issue, but really we want our general manager back.”

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday