Sierra Vista outlines $4.9 million golf-course energy and water optimization plan, with Schneider Electric guarantee

City staff on Thursday updated the Sierra Vista City Council on a planned $4.9 million optimization of the Sierra Vista Golf Center meant to reduce water use, address deferred maintenance and add solar-covered parking to supply daytime electricity to clubhouse operations.

The plan, presented by Laura Wilson, would replace an aging well that irrigates much of the front nine and two other holes, convert roughly 10 acres of underused turf to xeriscape, install a smart irrigation control system, upgrade LED lighting and HVAC, add solar-covered parking and explore a dual-port EV charging station. Schneider Electric is the project partner; staff said Schneider will provide a firm fixed-price contract and guarantee the project savings.

The guarantee matters because the city’s analysis projects lifecycle savings exceeding $5.2 million against current estimates of about $4.9 million in total costs. “Down is always better than up,” Wilson said of the updated cost estimate, which officials said has declined from an early $5.8 million estimate as engineering work proceeds. Wilson also said Schneider “would be guaranteeing those savings…they would actually be paying the difference” if the project fails to meet guaranteed targets.

Why it matters: Sierra Vista’s parks and grounds consume a substantial share of municipal water and maintenance resources. Staff and council members framed the project as a way to limit future emergency repairs and reduce the city’s dependence on supplemental water when wells fail.

Key details presented by staff: - Current project estimate: about $4,900,000 (staff said the earlier budget estimate was about $5,800,000). - Projected lifecycle (gross) savings: about $5,200,000, per the vendor’s modeling. - Anticipated offsets and funding: a phase-2 investment tax credit of $1,360,000 and an expected $230,000 return tied to the phase-3 solar project; staff also noted an omitted expected state appropriation of about $100,000. After credits and anticipated returns, staff calculated roughly $3,200,000 to finance. - Financing scenarios shown: $3.2 million at about 4.5% interest would produce estimated annual payments of roughly $180,000 (5 years), $134,000 (7 years) or $100,000 (10 years), per staff’s presentation and David Felix’s debt-service overview. - Scope and schedule: staff said site assessments, including a down-hole camera inspection of the well, were concluding and that if construction could be staged concurrently the vendor expects to complete work in under a year. The well assessment report was expected within one to two weeks. - Operations and risk management: staff emphasized warranty coverage and post‑installation support. Wilson said the city has “about a 3 year period with Schneider Electric afterwards” during which Schneider will manage warranties and a central hotline will dispatch repairs.

Council members asked about risks from commissioning new systems and the city’s experience with past pump/irrigation upgrades. Wilson told the council the city will not accept commissioning until the system is proven and staff trained: “we have to have water immediately…we will not accept commissioning unless we are ready to go, and it is working.” Council member Rodriguez and others stressed the importance of redundancy and training because prior failures had led to rapid turf damage when systems went down.

Other points from the briefing: the project would convert about 10 acres of primarily outlying fairway and nonplay areas to drought-tolerant landscaping and decomposed granite with select plantings; staff also discussed potential temporary or limited-use disc-golf events as an ancillary use of portions of the course but said no firm plan exists.

Next steps: staff will receive the well inspection report and more detailed firm pricing; council will receive a subsequent briefing when the vendor’s final report and firm fixed-price contract are available.