FAIRMONT — Residents took issue with loud vehicles and unleashed dogs during the latest installment of Fairmont’s “Saturday Morning With the City,” informal public sessions held periodically to provide citizens with the opportunity to ask questions of city leadership and elected officials.

“The intent of this meeting is not for us to ask the questions. The intent is for us to listen,” Fairmont Mayor Debbie Foster told the residents attending the gathering. Also in attendance were all members of the Fairmont City Council and several of the city’s senior staff members.

Fairmont Police Chief Mike Hunter was in the spotlight Saturday morning at the Cedar Creek Park shelter house. After delivering an overview of his department, Hunter fielded questions and comments about subjects at the forefront of public interest.

One homeowner asked if the police department had any specific plans to handle the excessively loud trucks and motorcycles that often disturb residents during the summer months.

Hunter said law enforcement has two tools to work with, the state statute and the city ordinance, but how to determine an excessive noise level and prove it in court with a body camera or squad car camera is difficult.

“What I’d like to do is get a more objective way to enforce it and something that the courts will accept,” he said. He has been checking with other communities to see what policies have been successful for them.

Discussion then turned to unleashed dogs and the frequent problems they pose at Cedar Creek Park.

“I love this park. I love this neighborhood,” said one resident who plays disc golf, hikes and bicycles in the park. “Over the last few years, I’ve noticed a lot of dogs off the leash. It’s really escalating. I’m a dog lover, but we have a dog park (for unleashed dogs).”

Another resident echoed the concern, relating instances of being chased by an unleashed dog when walking or bicycling through the park. Although she carries mace, she is very reluctant to use it.

“It’s probably a good dog, but I just don’t want a dog chasing me,” she said.

Hunter said all dogs should be on a leash for everyone’s safety and peace of mind — and because it’s the law. He countered the claim that a dog can be loose if it is under the direct supervision of its owner.

“There’s a misconception that dogs can be off leash as long as they are listening. It has to be on a leash. The only exception to that is if you are working with a retrieving dog in the water,” Hunter said.

He plans to focus on education first, followed by targeted enforcement, including the possible use of officers or interns on bicycles which have a greater mobility than squad cars in the parks.

Hunter suggested residents request to talk to an on-duty officer when calling in a complaint, especially about a frequent offender. This will enable the caller to relay specific details to the officer who then can deal with educating the violator about the city’s leash law or, if necessary, citing the offender.

The police chief gave an overview of his department, which includes 18 full-time and two part-time officers, seven of which joining the force in the last two years. Hunter joined the Fairmont Police Department in 1998, serving in different capacities until being named chief two years ago. He touched on the department’s institution of body cameras on officers, re-establishing the K-9 unit and the “Adopt a Cop” program in which an officer is “adopted” by a first-grade class in the public and parochial schools and shares activities with them throughout the school year.

“Our focus is: No call is too big. No call is too small,” Hunter said, commenting on the frequency of officers being are called to help someone who has fallen. “Is it safe in Fairmont? Absolutely. A lot of times we’re just helping people out. Service is our No. 1 thing.”

Several residents thanked Hunter and his department for their service and dedication to the community.

“Since the biggest concerns we heard today were loud mufflers and dogs off leashes, I’d say you’re going a heck of a good job,” Councilman Bruce Peters said.

The next “Saturday Morning With the City” will be held in June.