Norwich – The City Council plans to hire a new city manager by Nov. 20, Mayor Deberey Hinchey told the Board of Public Utilities Commissioners Tuesday.

She said the council plans to hire a consulting firm to conduct a search by Aug. 24, receive applications by Sept. 14, select the new city manager on Oct. 26 and then have a contract with that person by Nov. 20.

The commission had been growing restless about the length of time NPU General Manager John Bilda has been asked to serve as acting city manager – with NPU paying his full $188,800 salary throughout the term.

The City Council appointed Bilda on Feb. 2 after former City Manager Alan Bergren resigned under pressure. At the time, it was agreed that NPU would pay Bilda's regular salary, although he would spend nearly all of his time at City Hall.

But no time frame was set for the appointment of a new city manager, and in April, utilities commission Chairman James Sullivan sent a detailed letter to Hinchey asking numerous questions about Bilda's dual role. Hinchey agreed to give the commission monthly updates on the search status, which had been put on hold during the spring city budget process.

Hinchey outlined a detailed schedule for the commission Tuesday, saying the City Council has met in secret as the search committee — secret meetings are allowed under state law — twice in July to review a request for qualifications from consultant search firms. The approved RFQ for a search firm was advertised Tuesday, Hinchey said.

Responses from search firms are due Aug. 11, and the City Council expects to interview firms from Aug. 17 to 24. The selected firm is expected to put out an advertisement for a new city manager immediately, with applications due Sept. 14.

The City Council hopes to interview finalist candidates Oct. 19 and vote to hire a city manager at a special City Council meeting Oct. 26. Contract negotiations are expected to take until Nov. 20, Hinchey said.

In response to questions from Sullivan, Hinchey said Bilda's time as acting city manager has been “excellent,” with Bilda already working on next year's budget with a directive to instruct departments to cut costs. Without giving specifics, she said she has received positive feedback from city officials on “some of the things going on in the city.”

Hinchey said she is aware that progress at City Hall has come with sacrifices at NPU and thanked the commission for its support.

Bilda said he has spent much of his time physically at City Hall, but has kept track of NPU issues as well. He has, however, “taken a sabbatical” from his work on national energy and power supply issues. As NPU general manager, Bilda frequently participated in Northeast regional power supply meetings and strategy sessions and testified in Hartford and Washington, D.C., on those issues.

Commission member Larry Goldman, who has been the most vocal critic of the dual arrangement, said Bilda's term as acting city manager has taken a lot longer than the commission originally expected.

“This whole thing was supposed to be settled by June or July,” Goldman, a former alderman, said.

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