Christopher Spadoni's 17-year run as city council solicitor was terminated at Feb. 18's city council meeting. In a 6-1 vote, Bethlehem attorney Jonathan "Jack" Spirk Jr. was appointed the city's new solicitor.

Council members said the decision to terminate Spadoni, who was appointed solicitor in 1996, was a difficult one. "This is not political, it is practical," said Council member Karen Dolan. "I would prefer not to go into the details as to why. I really like Mr. Spadoni, and love him as a person. When Mr. Spadoni was appointed, not one person here was on council, and some who appointed him have passed on. It's time. He had a great run for 17 years. We believe if we can make a better council, we have a responsibility to bring attorney Jonathan Spirk aboard. Jack is a brilliant lawyer, with decades of experience with Pennsylvania law."

Newly appointed Council member Cathy Reuscher requested to abstain from the vote, explaining she has not worked with Spadoni and did not feel comfortable voting. Council President J. William Reynolds informed her that she is required to vote.

Dolan was quick to say, "New members are required to vote. It is the law. It takes integrity to make strong decisions. This is not political, it is practical. It is an employment decision."

In the final vote, only Council member Eric Evans voted against terminating Spadoni and appointing Spirk.

At the end of the meeting, Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez responded to Reynolds' questions regarding the city's efforts to remove the snow from the streets during the course of this year's especially snowy winter.

"We have had 20 inches of snow in the past week," said Donchez. "We declared a snow emergency and have had men out working 12-hour shifts to remove the snow from the streets. We bring the removed snow to Sand Island, where the snow is now larger than a football field and 15-feet high. We have spent $300,000 dollars in just one week on snow removal."

Sheila White, a Bethlehem resident, addressed council on the topic of snow removal and remarked that if the city had better communication to residents during extreme weather events, that residents would be better prepared. She proposed that the city use social media more to get the word out during snow emergencies.