Norwich — If you think running a municipal utility through calms and storms and technology changes is complicated, try running the city government where it is located.

John Bilda, general manager of Norwich Public Utilities, a 28-year NPU employee, has spent the past year doing both jobs. The dual role will end soon as the City Council appointed former Newington Town Manager John Salomone last week as the new city manager. Salomone's contract – not yet signed – will have an effective start date of Jan. 27 and a start-work date of Feb. 1.

Bilda was tapped as acting city manager Feb. 3, 2015, one day after City Manager Alan Bergren resigned under pressure from the former City Council.

“I love Norwich,” Bilda said Wednesday. “It's the only place I really wanted to live, so when I was asked to step up, I said 'yes' right away. It's been a challenge.”

Bilda said he was surprised at the “complexity” of city government, how departments, issues and even technology intertwine. Bilda made reducing some complexities his top priority, ushering in a new computer system to streamline permitting and communication among planning, zoning and building departments and the assessor's office. The new system was activated this month after employees spent much of the fall in training.

Norwich's complex fire protection system is a paid central city department and five volunteer departments. Bilda acknowledged the tensions that sometimes flare up, and initiated biweekly meetings with the fire chiefs to improve communication, and establish a consistent protocol for calling the other departments for mutual aid.

Bilda also called for standardized training and a tablet computer system that gives critical information to emergency responders. Although the city doesn't specifically oversee the volunteer departments, Norwich does provide a limited retirement plan and worker's compensation insurance for volunteers. That means the city needed to ensure that training is uniform and volunteers are certified, Bilda said.

Salomone said he had some experience working in a town with dual paid and volunteer departments in Greenwich. Salomone served as budget analyst in Greenwich for two years in the 1970s.

One project Bilda did not get to see to completion is a planned new city phone system with caller ID, an office directory and connections to employees' computers. Bilda said the system will use the NPU fiber optic system already in place.

When Bilda returns to NPU, he plans to concentrate on expanding the city's fiber optic system citywide and eventually hopes to bring broadband Internet connections to businesses and residents.

NPU didn't stand still while Bilda worked at City Hall. New solar power projects with private developers will increase NPU's renewable energy production to 15 percent by 2017. But Bilda cut back extensively on his work on regional and national energy issues – “I told them I need to take a hall pass for a little while,” he said.

“Now I'm going to re-engage in all the national energy policy and energy security work,” he said.

But first will come the transition period at City Hall. Bilda has had preliminary budget meetings with department heads and city Comptroller Josh Pothier, but the bulk of the work on the 2016-17 city budget will be up to Salomone.

“I'll play whatever role John wants going forward,” Bilda said of the transition.

Bilda did help negotiate a retirement incentive with City Hall employees to help plan for the budget and started examining possible office relocations – perhaps involving moving state offices in City Hall to other spaces.

During the public comment portion of Tuesday's council meeting, resident Shiela Hayes thanked Bilda for launching neighborhood tours by key city staff to identify blight, problem areas and city infrastructure needs. The first tour in Greeneville led to removal of brush and trees clogging sidewalks, new street signs and security cameras.

In Taftville, the tour led to demolition of the defunct Taftville Little League complex to make way for a village park.

On Jan. 27, in one of his final days in the City Hall office, Bilda will host a reception for Salomone for city employees and the community from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at These Guys Brewing Co., 78 Franklin St. He then will head to a Taftville meeting with the neighborhood watch group to review plans for the new park.

“I learned a whole new aspect of city government,” Bilda said of his acting city manager tenure. “I appreciate the confidence and trust the mayor and the City Council put in me. It will only make me a stronger general manager.”

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday