CANFIELD — Residents from around Fair Park filled a row of seats at Canfield City Council’s Wednesday meeting to protest the idea of building a connector and larger pump track in Fair Park.

The concerns were expressed early in the meeting when Council President Christine Oliver read three letters the city received on the matter. The letters addressed the proposed plan to add to the present smaller pump track — designed for mountain or trail bicycles — and to connect the park and tracks to the Mill Creek MetroParks bike trail by using the Ohio Edison right-of-way for transmission lines.

The first letter read into the record was from Sherry Brown, who wrote, “There are 60 residents living around Fair Park who are concerned about noise, traffic and safety.”

Brown, who was in attendance, also got the chance to address council. She said research was done and large pump tracks in Alliance and Akron were explored.

“Both tracks are in commercial districts,” she told council. “None were in neighborhoods or around homes. An Akron police officer asked me why anyone would want to put one next to a playground.”

A second letter came from Villas at Fair Park President Jim Rugh who wrote the park was already busy with children’s sports teams, little kids on the playground equipment, and dog walkers. He said it is a neighborhood park.

The third letter was from Villas at Fair Park resident Norma Remias. She wrote that park board President Lex Calder was “building a personal playground for himself and his children.”

Calder attended past meetings to push for the connector and larger pump track, but he was not present Wednesday.

Remias said, “We are retired and our condos look nice. I’ve lived here 27 years and it hurts every time we have to go through something like this. We can’t continue to do this to our people.”

She asked council to reevaluate a larger pump track and what it could bring to Fair Park.

Brown brought up an incident when gas-powered motorcycles were using the track while smaller kids were on it with bicycles. Police Chief Chuck Colucci responded and said it is illegal to use motorcycles or quads in the city parks and police would respond to such activity.

Oliver thanked residents for coming and expressing their thoughts on the matter.

On a different issue, a discussion was held on the clock tower that was on the Village Green. City Manager David D’Apolito said he attended the park board meeting and an attempt was made to save the clock, but it was decided to put the clock up for auction as is.

Councilman Bruce Neff said, “Maybe we should reconsider saving the clock.”

Oliver agreed and a discussion was opened on making the repairs. Public Works Superintendent John Rapp said Big Ben Clock Repair could fix the mechanisms for between $300 to $500. Rapp added that his department could paint it and install it on the cement pad by the gazebo.

Colucci said the idea last year was to replace it and the cost would have been $15,000. Council felt if it is worth saving, then it should be.

“The auction then is on hold,” D’Apolito said.

In other business:

* D’Apolito said he is communicating with the company that did the East Main Street patches in hopes to get the street repaired.

* Council voted unanimously to approve entering into a salt contract with state purchasing, with the amount to be determined at a later date.

* Oliver added a comment on the recent resolution to not support Boardman joining the Cardinal Joint Fire District. All five council members (Oliver, Neff, Chuck Tieche, Mark Graham and Mayor Don Dragish) all stood by the decision to support not letting what they called a “merger” happen.

“We all stand together,” Dragish said.

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