Belton parks staff preview $200,000 cloud-based irrigation upgrade for golf course
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Summary
Councilors heard a budgeted proposal for a cloud-based irrigation-control upgrade at the city golf course, estimated at about $200,000 and budgeted at $230,000 in the FY2026 plan; staff said installation would occur in November with five years of vendor support.
City parks staff presented a planned upgrade to the municipal golf course irrigation-control system, telling the council the project is budgeted for fiscal year 2026 at $230,000 with a current cost estimate of about $200,000. The system would replace a 1998 DOS-based control panel with cloud-based controls accessible by iPad or other internet-connected devices.
Parks staff said the current system controls roughly 750 sprinkler heads and is difficult to program; staff described workarounds such as physically visiting a small hand-held control unit at 2 a.m. to shut off irrigation during unexpected rain. The planned upgrade would install new control satellites on existing pads, rewire sprinkler heads, replace field control boxes and provide five years of Toro (vendor) support. Staff said the package includes installation, hardware, five years of vendor support and initial training for staff.
Staff explained the technology would enable more precise, water-conserving scheduling, site-specific programs for different holes or microclimates and remote rain holds. The city expects installation and switchover sometime in November, after the busy irrigation season, and training will occur during a vendor support window that includes several days of onsite instruction and ongoing remote support.
Councilors asked about cyber and network security; parks staff said they would coordinate with the city's IT team to ensure appropriate safeguards and that the system does not handle sensitive personal data. Council members also asked about trade-in or disposition of the old control module and were told the vendor refurbishes retired equipment for reuse. Staff said late-September council review is planned before final procurement.
No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff said the item is budgeted and will return for council approval as part of the FY2026 budget and a formal procurement package.
