The Sudden Valley Community Association Board of Directors approved up to $44,981.46 from the CERF capital fund to purchase and install a new programmable logic controller (PLC) for the golf-course irrigation system after a presentation from golf staff.

The PLC at the 17th-hole pump station has failed and needs replacement, Golf Director Brian Kerlock said. The board voted unanimously to authorize the purchase and installation at the meeting; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote.

The irrigation system uses large pumps that move water between ponds serving the lower and upper holes, and staff said soft-start technology is important to protect pipes and fittings. "One of the challenges with doing work like this is that we do not have a lot of options in terms of who can perform this work," Kerlock said, explaining contractors in Washington state provided three bids and the Watertronics PLC was recommended.

Greg Wadden, Turf Care superintendent, described the system and the reason for choosing the recommended panel. He said the Watertronics unit, priced at $40,010.41 in the bids, includes a butterfly valve that enables a slow start, reducing stress on a roughly 10-inch distribution line and the joints that have shown age-related wear. Wadden also recommended adding a soft-start motor controller at the Lake Louise pump station to achieve the same protective function there.

Board members asked about the risk of relying on a single local installer. Kerlock said there is one primary installer in-state but named contractors in Idaho and Oregon who could serve as a backup in an emergency, though with higher cost and response time. "We don't have a written backup plan, but we know of two contractors out of state that if we were in a pinch would be available," he said.

Directors pressed staff on how long the course could go without irrigation. Kerlock and Wadden said the weather pattern would determine damage risk: in cool weather the course could withstand a week or two without irrigation, while a heat wave could cause significant damage in about six to eight days. Wadden outlined emergency mitigation: portable pumps or rented water tanks to prioritize watering greens first, then tee boxes and fairways.

The motion approved by the board read, in part, "Move that the Sudden Valley Board of Directors approve an amount not to exceed $44,981.46 from the CERF fund for the purchase and installation of a new PLC for the golf-course irrigation system." The board voted unanimously in favor.

Speakers asked for clearer maps of the irrigation and golf course assets; staff said large "as-built" maps exist in the Turf Care building and that staff will work on scanned or digital versions for directors and the public.

The board also directed staff to pursue the upgrade without delaying other planned turf-care capital work, noting the replacement was unplanned and would be funded by reallocating planned capital for the Turf Care maintenance building and including a contingency.

The approval follows staff testimony that the existing system dates to the 1990s, with two 40-horsepower pumps at the 17th-hole station pumping roughly 900 gallons per minute each through the course's piping.

The board's authorization allows staff to contract for the replacement and the soft-start motor controller to reduce the risk of pressure surges that have previously caused cracked joints in the system.

Ending: Staff said they will obtain final contract documents and schedule the work; the board requested follow-up on contingency use and confirmation of backup-service arrangements should the recommended vendor be unavailable.