(KNZA)--The Hiawatha City Commission Monday evening granted approval for the Hiawatha Baseball and Softball Club to move forward with the construction of a new softball field at Noble Park, which is the second phase of the Hiawatha Championship Sports Complex project.

The Commission also approved providing a letter of support for grant efforts, to waive permit fees and for city staff to help with the installation of utilities for the project. Commissioners Dave Middendorf and Brian Shefferd were absent.

Club representatives, Troy Kolb and Ryan Meininger, appeared before the Commission to provide an update on the project and make the requests.

Kolb said the Club partnered with a Topeka architectural firm to design plans for the field and would like to start moving dirt in January, weather allowing. The field is to be completed by October 2025 and ready for use in March 2026.

He said they have a budget of $750,000 for the project, and have raised a third of the funds. Plans are to install an artificial turf later as funds become available.

In other business, the Commission approved the installation of an 8-foot bench in front of City Hall, along Oregon Street, in honor of longtime City Commissioner and Mayor Bill Collins, who died in April 2023.

Collins daughters, Stacey Wilhelm and Shelly Haverkamp, appeared before the Commission to make the request. They said they would like to utilize their dad's memorial money to pay for the bench, with city staff providing the installation.

The Commission also approved proceeding with a project to remodel the old gas station utilized by the Fire Department at a total cost of $26,150.

Fire Chief Patrick Sheldon appeared before the Commission to review bids received for project, which will add additional space for the housing of one of the Department's brush trucks.

The need for the additional space arose with the recent arrival of the Department's new first response truck.