Clint Cannon, Public Works Director for the City of Winder, talks about everything from maintaining street signs to building trails and tackling generational projects. He shares funny stories, tough challenges, and why public works is really about serving people every day.

Q: How did you get into public works and end up in Winder?

A: I had a lot of experience in water and water distribution at another municipality, then moved to ESG Operations when they were running public works for Winder. So I’ve been here almost 11 years, but only the last three and a half directly for the city.

Q: What falls under public works that people may not realize?

A: Street signs. People see them but don’t realize how much work goes into maintaining them—cleaning, replacing, making sure they meet reflectivity standards. Also events—we invest a lot of time helping facilitate city events.

Q: What’s a typical day for a public works employee?

A: Most of the guys have a routine. Crews check equipment, load up, and head to their routes—whether right-of-way, asphalt, or parks. But at any moment, things can change if something urgent comes up.

Q: What requests do you get most often from residents?

A: Inspections in the right of way—usually tree maintenance or general cleanup. Roads are number two—utility cuts or potholes.

Q: How do you prioritize requests?

A: Safety is number one. If a tree blocks line of sight or a sidewalk is dangerous, that jumps to the top. If it’s not a safety hazard, we schedule it when crews are already working in that area.

Q: Can you share a recent project that’s made a big difference?

A: The White’s Mill Trail. It’s over two miles, multi-use, and the overlook at Cedar Creek is incredible. The parking lot is already too small—that’s how popular it is. Trails and the downtown plaza have really changed things for the city.

Q: What’s the strangest situation you’ve run into?

A: Once, at another municipality, I was working on the side of the right of way. An elderly woman pulled over, saw our truck, she asked me where the crack house was. And she just kept loudly asking, “Where is the crack house?” I didn't know where it was. I did not have a good answer for her. And it turns out in that area there's a place you can take pecans to have them crack them and it's called the Crack House. They have a small sign by the road where it says Crack House.

Q: If you had to describe public works in one word?

A: Yikes. People don’t realize how many moving pieces there are—storms, events, maintenance. It can be overwhelming. 

Q: How does public works impact daily life?

A: Our team understands it’s not just cutting grass or putting up a sign. It’s keeping rights of way clear for safety, making sure roads are drivable, intersections safe. They have a servant mindset—everything they touch makes a difference.

Q: What’s something residents could do to make your job easier?

A: Right-of-way maintenance takes a huge amount of our time. Even just picking up trash in front of your house or at a park helps a lot. If everyone does their part, we can focus on bigger issues like potholes and road safety.

Q: What projects are you most excited about right now?

A: The Center Street project extending to Highway 81—it’s truly generational. Stephens Street improvements are underway. And the rock quarry project is massive—storing a billion gallons of water, setting Winder up to be self-reliant.

Q: If money were no object, what would be your dream project?

A: A streetscape project on Main Street. We did one with GDOT on Broad Street and it transformed that corridor. Main Street is the other main thoroughfare, and I’d love to see it beautified and reimagined.

Q: Why can’t the city just fix Main, Broad, or 81?

A: Those are GDOT routes. The city has extremely limited authority there. We can’t change traffic lights or do major work without GDOT. It’s challenging because they’re the main areas in town, but we have to partner with the state.

Q: As Winder grows, how does public works need to adapt?

A: We have to scale with the growth—more houses, more streets means more services. It’s our responsibility to keep the same level of service as the city expands.

Q: What’s the best way for residents to contact public works?

A: Email public.works@cityofwinder.com or call the city’s customer service line (770-867-3106)—the same number you’d use for a water bill question. They route requests directly to us.

Q: How do you explain public works to people?

A:  If you can see it above ground, it most likely goes to our public works team. And if it's a service, you can’t see  that’s underground, that most likely we'll go to our utilities team.

Q: Favorite superhero movies?

A: Marvel—Iron Man. Maybe nostalgia, but it still holds up. DC—the Dark Knight trilogy. The villains were top tier.

Q: Final thoughts?

A: I couldn’t be prouder of our team. Since the city brought public works back in-house, morale has been high and the staff goes above and beyond. They work long hours, never complain, and really have that servant mindset. They’re as good as I’ve ever worked around.