WATERVILLE — City councilors on Tuesday voted to award contracts totaling $261,422 for public works equipment including a forklift, two dump trucks and an asphalt compaction roller.

The city will buy the 5,000 pound forklift for $23,598 from the low bidder, W.D. Matthews Machinery Co. of Auburn. The company beat Northland Industrial Truck Co. Inc. of Lewiston, whose bid was $24,724.

A one-ton dump truck with accessory equipment will be purchased from Hight Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep Inc. of Madison for $71,653. Hight was the low bidder, with Whited Ford Truck Center of Bangor bidding $72,038.

The city will buy a dual axle dump truck with accessories from Daigle & Houghton, of Fort Kent and Hermon, for $150,181. The company was the low bidder. C.B. International of Bangor bid $167,704; O’Connor Motors of Augusta bid $170,885; and Whited Peterbilt of Maine, of Bangor, bid $159,176.

A 1.5 ton asphalt compaction roller will be bought from Eagle Rental of Waterville for $15,990. Other bids for the roller were Chadwick-Baross of Westbrook, for $18,750; Jordan Equipment Co. of Hermon, $25,955; Milton Caterpillar of Brewer, $20,500; and Nortrax, of Hermon, $15,390.

Councilors also voted to award a $17,010 contract to Fortin Construction of Waterville for a downtown sidewalk rehabilitation project.

In other matters, councilors took a first vote to amend the city’s zoning ordinance to allow a parcel off Fieldstone Drive to be rezoned as part of Paul Lussier’s housing development, Fieldstone Meadows LLC.

Two more votes are needed to make the zone change. The council also took the first of three needed votes to change the ordinance to allow Herbert Goudreau to include meal service and a beauty parlor in a multi-family building he plans to construct at 110 College Ave.

Councilors voted 5-0 to front Quarry Road Recreation Area up to $100,000 to construct an equipment maintenance building on the site.

Councilor Karen Rancourt-Thomas, D-Ward 7, questioned the city’s loaning money for the project at a time when residents’ taxes are being increased.

Council Chairman Fred Stubbert, D-Ward 1, said the money is to be paid back within two years, and the building will house snow-making equipment and machinery used to maintain trails.

Mid-Maine Technical Center students will construct the building, according to Mayor Karen Heck. She said she did not think the city’s loaning the money would affect people’s taxes.

“OK,” Rancourt said. “I just want to make sure.”

City Manager Michael Roy said the $100,000 is for building materials and that some parts of the building are being donated. C.O. Beck & Sons Inc., for instance, is donating the roof, he said.

Heck said she visited the site recently, for the first time in a long time, and pipe for snow-making equipment is being laid there.

“It’s a pretty amazing facility,” she said.

Heck also urged people to join her in donating money to the Sacred Heart Soup Kitchen, which announced this week that it is in danger of closing for lack of consistent funding.

“For those of us who do actually have food in our kitchens, I hope it’s something you all will consider,” Heck said.

Councilors George Myers Jr., D-Ward 2, and Eliza Mathias, D-Ward 6, were absent from the meeting.