Gerard Brewer, City Engineer for the City of Winder, shares what it really takes to keep a city running smoothly—from potholes to paving to planning for the future. He talks about building an engineering department from the ground up, keeping up with rapid growth, and how data-driven decisions make your tax dollars go further. If you've ever wondered why your street hasn't been paved or who controls the traffic lights downtown, keep reading!

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Q: What got you into civil engineering and how did you land in Winder?
A: Like a lot of young people, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. My dad was a civil engineer, and I just kind of ended up following that path. I was fair in math and science and have never regretted it. I’ve spent most of my career in municipal service, with about five or six years consulting, then 25 years in Alexander City before retiring from the State of Alabama. Then, this opportunity in Winder came up.

Q: What are you most proud of since stepping into this role?
A: Without a doubt, the biggest achievement has been building the engineering department from the ground up. When I arrived, there really wasn’t an established engineering department. Under the guidance of Roger Wilhelm and Mandy, we got to work—initially supporting development efforts—but the role quickly expanded

We created policies, SOPs, job descriptions, and went through 40 interviews—pulling talent from places like UGA and Lanier Tech. I think we've got as good a staff as you could possibly have. It’s just good guys doing a good job with a good attitude. We’ve problem got 120, 150 years of experience between the team.

Q: What challenges have you faced?
A: The biggest challenge, by far, has been responding to the rapid growth. Coming into a new community where it feels like it’s nonstop every day—that was a big adjustment. The growth is hard to even describe.

That kind of expansion requires an incredible amount of planning and engineering, and we take that responsibility seriously. It’s not just about keeping up—it’s about doing it right, so the city can grow sustainably and safely.

Q: How do you pass on what you’ve learned so the next generation can do these jobs even better?
A: From day one, Robert Cheshire and I were focused on sustainability. We won’t be here forever. So we’ve been investing time in mentoring Patrick “PJ” Klein Jr.—a standout from the area who’s committed to staying long-term. Robert and I probably spend 20% of our time coaching him and passing along what we learned the hard way. He listens, asks questions, and really wants to get better. That attitude makes it easier to invest in his growth.

Q: What does engineering actually do for a project like Center Street?
A: People think engineers just pull out graph paper and start drawing. But real engineering is about deep planning. With Center Street, we mentally walk through every step before a shovel hits the ground—utilities, sequencing, safety, logistics. And while we don’t design every project ourselves—there’s too much going on—we oversee and manage it all.

Q: So you’re reviewing consultants’ work more than doing the design yourselves?
A: Exactly. We redline plans, send feedback, make sure everything meets our standards. And that’s where having a city engineer is invaluable—because we can provide continuity. If every project went to a different outside firm, you’d lose that big-picture coordination.

Q: Can you give an example of that kind of coordination?
A: Just yesterday, we looked at a redesign for the MLK/Athens/Main intersection. The consultant was focused on that one spot, but we knew of three other nearby projects in motion. Because we’re in-house, we can connect the dots and make sure those efforts don’t conflict but actually complement each other.

Q: What role do you play when a developer submits plans?
A: Developers submit plans through IWorQ, our tracking platform. Myself, Robert, and PJ review everything—from land disturbance to hydrology. We send our notes back through Planning and Permits. For complex things like retaining walls or specialty structures, we might bring in outside help. But now we handle 90–95% of reviews in-house.

Q: What happens if a developer messes something up?
A: We don’t jump straight to enforcement unless it’s a major or repeated issue. Most of the time, it’s about coaching—explaining what’s wrong and how to fix it. We’re partners in the process, but we do hold the line.

Q: How does the city decide which roads get paved first? What’s the process for that?
A: The roads here in Winder aren’t in great shape overall. Our current Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is in the 50s on average, which is considered poor for a city network.

Our goal is to improve that score, and to do so, we need funding—lots of it. But just having the money isn’t enough; it’s about how we spend it. With good asset management and proper maintenance timing—what we call a “stitch in time” approach—you can significantly improve the condition of roads.

For example, given the same budget, one approach might raise the PCI from 50 to 75 over five years, while poor planning might only get you to 60. It’s all about doing the right work at the right time.

Q: What kind of budget are we talking about to maintain Winder’s roads?
A: Back-of-the-envelope paving costs run about $300,000 per mile. Winder has roughly 100 miles of roads, so that’s about $30 million in total.

Roads typically have a lifespan of about 15 years. To maintain the network, you’d need to budget around 7 to 10 percent of that total annually—roughly $2.1 to $3 million a year—to keep the system in good shape.

Q: Is this asset management approach used just for roads, or does it apply more broadly?
A: No, this mindset applies to all city infrastructure—roads, utilities, buildings—you name it. Every asset has an expected lifecycle and needs planned maintenance and budgeting to avoid costly emergency repairs later on. Streets are one area we intend to manage to the nth degree.

Think of it like a vehicle. A road has a lifespan just like a car has a mileage limit. You can patch it up—replace tires, fix the engine—but at some point, the whole vehicle needs to be replaced. It’s better to maintain it properly from the start and plan ahead.

Q: What is going on with Winder roads?
A: Just today, we had our pre-construction meeting for a big patching project. Between utility funds and T-SPLOST money, we’re putting between $100,000 and $500,000 worth of patching on streets over the next year. That will make a huge improvement.

Also, the $1.2 million repaving project on MLK—something the public voted for through T-SPLOST—is in progress and getting paid out. We’re actually a bit ahead of schedule, so we might slow down the pace in the next year or two to keep budgets steady.

Q: So the T-SPLOST money is limited and tied to what the public votes on?
A: Exactly. The money comes in as people shop and pay taxes. It’s not an endless fund, so we have to spend it wisely and make sure we get the most bang for the buck.

Q: Looking ahead, what’s your vision for Winder’s infrastructure over the next decade? What projects are coming after Center Street?
A: For residents, we understand everyone wants their street paved, but from our perspective, the streets are part of a bigger network. We have roughly 100 miles of roads. While we appreciate individual concerns, we have to prioritize what’s best for the whole system.

Q: How do you prioritize which streets to work on?
A: We use a data-driven approach, and soon AI will help refine it even more. A lot of our streets are so bad that we don't have to look far to find something that needs to be done. We have two main priorities since many streets are in bad shape:

• Maximize impact: We focus on roads that affect the most people—collectors and major streets like MLK or Sims Road, which have traffic counts around 1,500 cars per day or more.
• What needs to be done: The question is, what can you do? There's about 10different things you could do to a street, but what is the lowest amount of dollars per square yard per extended year of life.

Q: Why aren’t some roads being fixed—like Broad or Main Street?
A: That’s important for folks to understand. When I say “city streets,” I mean streets Winder owns and maintains. But major routes—Broad, Main, Hwy 81—are state highways. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) owns and maintains them. We can’t legally fix potholes or adjust traffic lights on those roads. We don’t even own a traffic light—zero.

Q: So how do you work with GDOT to solve those problems?
A: We just completed our Transportation Improvement Plan, which identified many issues on state routes. The consultant said fixing those would require strong coordination with GDOT, and that’s what we’re pursuing now—building relationships, showing them our pain points, and looking for partnership opportunities.

Q: Tell us more about that Transportation Plan and how the public was involved.
A: We built in a big public participation component. There were multiple after-hours events and pop-ups at city functions. Our consultant said Winder’s participation—measured by clicks, comments, and per-capita engagement—was among the best they’d ever seen. We took those comments seriously. The public shaped many of the priorities that are now in the plan.

Q: How does having that plan help Winder in the long run?
A: It helps tremendously. Let’s say the public flags an intersection. We validate it, add it to the plan, develop a conceptual solution, and use that plan to go after funding. Having a plan with public input and professional analysis makes a huge difference with grant agencies and GDOT.

Q: What’s something people might be surprised to learn about your department?
A: How seriously we take our stewardship of public funds. People sometimes assume government is wasteful—but our team is the opposite. We’re detail-oriented, invested, and committed to doing what’s best for Winder. Folks might not always agree with our priorities, but I hope they’d respect how much thought and care goes into them.

Q: What’s the one thing you’d show Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze if he came to Winder?
A: Center Street. It’s a generational issue we inherited midstream, and it’s a huge, transformative project for the city. It’s improving drainage, safety, and quality of life. And I’m proud we’re helping to finally fix it. Big thanks to the council, too, for investing in something that truly needed it.

Q: How many traffic lights does the City of Winder own or operate?
A: Zero. I want everybody to hear that again. It's at zero. The City of Winder has no control over any red light in the City of Water.

Engineering and our public works team will consistently report issues, delays and traffic lights. But the state Department of Transportation controls every traffic light in the city. They control the traffic lights. They control the quality of the pavement, the maintenance of the pavement. Everything to do with these state routes is maintained by the Georgia DOT

Q: Final thoughts—what should the public know about what your team is facing day to day?
A: There’s a ton of work coming at us. We’re doing everything we can, and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished—but we are stretched thin. Please just be patient with us. We’re trying to make every dollar count, and we care deeply about doing things the right way.