Clay County receives mixed progress report on bonded transportation, capital projects

Clay County commissioners on Aug. 12 received a monthly progress update on the bonded transportation program and an overview of capital projects, including several road corridors that remain behind schedule and building projects that are moving into permitting and construction.

The report, delivered by Ed Dendor, the county’s bond transportation program administrator, covered multiple highway segments and the county’s vertical construction work tied to the public-safety bond. "The program has expended $133,400,000," Dendor said during the presentation, describing pay-out and schedule percentages for specific contracts.

Why it matters: the bonded transportation program funds major roads and related infrastructure that the county says are essential to accommodate recent and planned growth. Several large horizontal projects — including County Road 218, County Road 209 and County Road 220 — are either late or under contention with contractors, which may push completion past originally forecast dates and raise potential claims.

What the county reported - County Road 218 (Masters Pit Road to Pine Tree Lane): excavation nearing completion on parts of the corridor but the contractor is behind schedule. Dendor said the project is "48% paid out and 74% of the time used." He later told commissioners that practical completion will go beyond this fall. - County Road 209/209B and project group 2: contractor work on stormwater, sidewalk and embankments is on schedule; Dendor reported the project 54% paid out and 40% of the time used. - County Road 220 and other segments: a separate project team continues Army Corps permit coordination and wetland impact studies for required permit modifications. - Cathedral Oaks Parkway / State Road 23: county staff and contractors completed major work on August 8–9 and opened the parkway in coordination with FDOT’s opening of State Road 23. Richard Smith, the county’s director of engineering, called the openings "big ones" and stressed they came online in time for the school year.

Contractor disputes and schedule risk Dendor and Smith described multiple contract disputes over time extensions and schedule responsibility. "They were not able to start the project on time when we originally contracted," Dendor said of one contractor, noting the county and contractor are "defending our positions" through attorneys and that unresolved matters could lead to liquidated damages or litigation.

On several projects the county reported high percent-of-time-used figures (one project was listed at 119% of time used) while contractors sought extensions. Dendor told the board the county has pushed back on some extension requests and continues negotiation and legal correspondence.

Public-safety and vertical projects Capital Projects staff also summarized work under the public-safety bond. Highlights included: - Fire Station 20: formal grand opening earlier on Aug. 12; staff said the station has moved into active service. - Fire Station 24 and 22: design, permitting and preconstruction activities are underway; FEMA review of environmental assessment for Station 24 is expected in November with a multi‑year construction schedule thereafter. - Tax collector offices (Orange Park and Keystone Heights): interior remodels reported at 80% and 53% complete respectively. - Black Creek bike-trail boardwalk repairs and other parks projects: repairs are staged and sections inspected as work continues.

Program-level context Smith and Dendor said the county is breaking the capital report into "vertical" (buildings) and "horizontal" (roads) reports going forward and tracking a bond covenant target to spend $65 million on bond-related public-safety work by June 2027; the county has spent roughly $10.5 million toward that target so far.

What’s next Staff said they will continue monthly status meetings with contractors and consultants, continue Army Corps and FEMA permitting where required, and bring contentious contract matters back to the board as they evolve. Commissioners pressed for clearer schedules and asked staff to keep the public informed about construction impacts and safety in active work zones.

Ending The county will provide another program update at a future meeting; staff cautioned several projects will extend past initial forecasts because of permitting delays, contractor mobilization issues and wetland mitigation steps.