Norwich – The City Council voted Monday to hire a Florida-based executive search firm to conduct the search for a new city manager, but the city's proposed schedule is quicker than the firm's normal process, the company's principal said.

The council voted unanimously 6-0 to hire Colin Baenziger & Associates of Palm Beach County, Fla., for up to $30,000 to conduct the search. Baenziger was one of four firms to submit proposals.

The council resolution did not specify a search schedule, but Mayor Deberey Hinchey said she hopes the current City Council, which is serving as the search committee, can make the decision on a new city manager. The new council elected at the Nov. 3 election – which will have at least three new members – will take office in early December.

Hinchey hopes a new manager can be selected by mid-November.

Norwich Public Utilities General Manager John Bilda has been serving as acting city manager since Feb. 3 after former City Manager Alan Bergren resigned under pressure from the council.

This will be Baenziger's first executive search in Connecticut, Colin Baenziger said Monday in a telephone interview. Baenziger said the firm is “very excited” to add Connecticut to the list of states where it is doing searches. The firm specializes in municipal executive searches, including city and town managers, utility directors, executive directors, and various municipal and county department heads.

According to the firm's website, Colin Baenziger & Associates has conducted more than 200 local government searches since 1998, including more than 100 city, county or district manager searches.

Baenziger said a normal city manager search takes 88 days starting with its first meeting with the City Council or search committee after being hired. He hopes to meet with Norwich officials on Wednesday.

Baenziger said he realizes the Norwich council wants to speed up the search and said certain steps can be condensed to try to meet the city's schedule. Normally, Baenziger said, the firm will present a city with eight to 10 top candidates with all background checks done and will ask the city to reduce the list to its top five finalists.

In Norwich, he said the firm could present the council with its top five recommended candidates and some aspects of the background checks might not be completed ahead of time.

“There might be some loose ends,” he said.

Baenziger said the condensed schedule would be “different,” but would not compromise the thoroughness of the firm's search.

“It would require us to alter our steps,” he said.

“We have a tight schedule, but we are trying to stick with that schedule as best we can, and this firm, I think will do a good job,” Hinchey said.

c.bessette@theday.com

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