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Jail expansion nears occupancy inspections; contractor and systems integrator report progress on punch list
Summary
Contractor Ajax Builders and systems integrator SecureTech told commissioners the new housing pod and support building are through major mechanical installation, training and testing; remaining work is finishing punch‑list items and obtaining final occupancy certificates.
County construction managers reported substantial progress on Okeechobee County’s jail expansion and support facilities and said occupancy inspections and owner training are under way.
Justin [last name not specified], the county staff member introducing the update, said construction is advancing and introduced Paul Fernandez of Ajax Builders and Joe Morat of SecureTech (security systems integrator).
Paul Fernandez told the board the contractor has completed excavation, is paving the east parking lot and has completed mechanical systems inside the new building. “We are getting all of our building occupancy inspections,” Fernandez said. He added that owner training sessions for security, door hardware, lighting controls and fire alarm systems were starting the same week and that the contractor records those sessions to give the county training material for future staff turnover.
Joe Morat with SecureTech said the firm has been intensively addressing punch‑list items as more building systems became operational. “Now that all the lights are on in the building and controlled, and all the HVAC is up and running and controlled … we can actually see things that we didn't see before,” Morat said, noting that the remaining items are cosmetic or hardware‑level issues rather than structural defects. He gave examples including repainting or cosmetic concrete repair and replacing security‑cage screws with the proper security fasteners.
Staff and the contractor said final cleaning, installation of furniture and training will follow successful inspections and completion of the punch list; a phased move‑in for sheriff’s personnel was anticipated once the county receives certificates of occupancy for the new spaces. The board asked that the project team continue regular coordination meetings with sheriff’s staff and county staff to manage final turnover and any needed adjustments.
No formal action was required at this meeting; commissioners were given a construction status update and scheduling for final inspections and turnover.
