AmCan roads man to go 90210The way Fred Simonson sees it, public works is public works, even in Beverly Hills.

The former American Canyon public works superintendent has moved to the city known for its glitz and glamour where he is the city’s maintenance operations manager — a responsibility that entails taking care of the municipality’s fleet, facilities and streets.

His first day on the job was last week.

As he took a break from cleaning his desk at American Canyon’s corporation yard before leaving town recently, Simonson, 55, called his new job a great opportunity.

Simonson applied for his new job in Beverly Hills this spring, intrigued by an advertisement that called for the “Best of the Best” and eager for the new challenge.

“It’s an adventure,” he added.

Yet he will miss his co-workers, including those who began referring to him as Jed Clampett, the grandfather in the “Beverly Hillbillies,” the television show from the 1960s. He will also miss American Canyon, he said.

American Canyon Public Works Director Robert Weil, who himself is scheduled to leave the city in August, said he was not surprised that Beverly Hills hired Simonson.

“The city of American Canyon was fortunate to have his services for the past three years, and he had a major positive impact on teamwork within the department. I'm not surprised to see Fred move up to a management level in Public Works,” Weil wrote in an e-mail.

George DeOcampo, a maintenance supervisor in American Canyon, said he will miss Simonson.

“He’s an excellent supervisor,” DeOcampo said.

Simonson is a 22-year Napa resident who worked for Contra Costa County before taking the superintendent job in American Canyon. He, his wife Rita and dog Britta are relocating, but may come back to retire in Napa County, Simonson said.

Beverly Hills, which operates on an $300 million annual budget, has 38,000 residents and more than 5 million annual visitors. American Canyon has about 17,000 residents.