Sonoma Public Works changing faces, hiring supervisors

Sonoma’s Department of Public Works continues in hiring mode with the hiring of a new public works manager announced one day after three other openings were posted.

Chris Pegg, who since 2013 has been the city’s environmental compliance analyst, steps into a new expanded role as public works manager. Pegg will be responsible for the activities of the water, streets, parks, facilities, and cemetery divisions of the Public Works Department. He replaces former public works manager, Trent Hudson.

“These responsibilities have grown in complexity and legal requirements over the past several years,” said Public Works Director Colleen Ferguson when the position was announced in January. The revised job description and salary range was authorized by the Sonoma City Council in December, 2020.

In Pegg’s seven years with the city he has provided technical guidance and support for parks, cemeteries, streets, facilities and water operations, and spearheaded advancements in the city’s stormwater and GIS programs. Pegg also provided mapping resources and recovery planning during the October 2017, according to the City of Sonoma’s announcement.

Pegg’s promotion came one day after three additional city positions were announced, all in public works. All three are supervisor positions, and report directly to Pegg, the operations manager. The positions are for a water supervisor, a streets supervisor, and a parks, cemeteries and facilities supervisor. Specific job descriptions and applications are available on the city’s website at sonomacity.org.

“Streets Supervisor Dean Merrill and Parks Supervisor Terry Melberg both retired at the end of December 2020,” said Ferguson in a message to the Index-Tribune. “Water Supervisor Jesse Mazza and his family moved to Idaho in early January.”

Mazza had worked for the city for seven years, while Merrill spent 31 years and Melberg 20 years with Sonoma.

Application deadline is 5 p.m., April 5. Applications are available online at sonomacity.org.