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Chronicle Waterloo can lose two soccer fields on Lexâ€" ingion Road without adding to a current socâ€" cer field shortage, says the city‘s director of recreation and liesure services.. Bob McFarland said Monday night he and other city officials are not too worried about Minor soccer president concerned about loss of two fields Tim Gardner Chronicle Staff the possible loss of the two fullâ€"sized soccer fields because at least 10 new fullâ€"sized soccer fields, and possibly as many as 16, could be ready for Waterloo minor soccer players and others as early as the 2001 soccer season. McFarland was speaking after Waterloo council voted unanimously in favour of a zone change that will allow Waterloo Mennonite Brethren Church at 245 Lexington Road to convert two soccer fields just east of the church into a parking lot by 2001. The soccer fields are currently on part of an 1lâ€"acre piece of land the Waterloo Catholic district school board declared surplus approximately one year ago. * _ Under an agreement between the city and the church, the church will buy the five acres of the property nearest the church so it can Tim Gardner photos build a new parking lot if the church goes ahead with proposed expansion plans. The city will buy the remaining six acres, which contain a baseball field, an ‘atom‘ soccer field, a washroom building, a parking area and some pedestrian paths Council also approved a zone change Monâ€" day night for the land the city is to buy so it (Continued on page 4) Debate to continue on future size of council A Waterloo council debate on the future size and composiuon of council has been deferred until Oct. 12 due to a family emergency involy ing Coun. Sean Strickland. Strickland had to leave Monday night‘s reguâ€" lar council meeting abruptly Monday night after a police officer came to WaterJoos counctl chambers to tell Strickland about the emerâ€" gency. Council unanimously decided to defer discussing the issue until a special council meeting Oct. 12, beginning at 7 p.m., or "until the call of the chair." Council did vote 8â€"1 to deal with a city staif report concerning councils composition before Strickland had to leave the meeting. Coun. Mike Connolly voted against the motion. Council originally voted Aug. 30 to defer any decision regarding altering its size until after provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Gilchnist responded to regional councils proposals for local municipal reform teached this past June 23. Waterloo council also deferred its decision Aug. 30 because it wanted to see five cabinetâ€" approved criteria Gilchrist was planning to reveal to local municipalities, to help guide them with municipal reform, before it made any decisions on its future size. In gen. al, the five criteria call for lower taxes, enhanced or improved services, a reducâ€" tion in the number of municipal politicians, less bureaucracy, and clearer lines of responsibility and better accountability at the local level However Mayor Joan McKinnon said ai (Continued on page 5) Tim Gardner Chronicle Staff