Following a pattern the Royal City Council hopes to continue, purchases of a new skid loader and a payroll subscription update were approved on May 10.

Council members have committed to replacing city equipment on a rotating basis. As the current skid loader is the next item on the list, the council accepted a bid of $53,900 from Sheldon Cat for a Caterpillar skid loader.

Builders Service, of Cherokee, submitted a bid of $54,486 for a Bobcat.

Having never operated a Cat skid loader, Maintenance Superintendent Sherman Nielsen wanted to test one. He was pleased with the result.

"It was a no b...