Bethlehem city council voted unanimously March 4 on a resolution to consider terminating Bethlehem police officer Richard Hoffman's employment.

Hoffman, a 10-year Bethlehem police veteran, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after being involved in an automobile accident Aug 8, 2013.

Officer Hoffman's blood alcohol level at the time of the accident was found to be .16, twice the legal limit in Pennsylvania. The accident occurred after as many as 15 off-duty Bethlehem police officers were celebrating another officer's birthday at the Fraternal Order of Police.

At a lengthy hearing the previous week, council also heard testimony relating to other instances of misconduct, from a 1995 altercation with a Philadelphia police officer in the City of Brotherly Love to a more recent argument at Milly's Grille in Bethlehem.

Council member Michael Recchiuti made the motion to add the resolution to fire Hoffman to the upcoming March 18 council meeting agenda. Recchiutti's motion was quickly seconded by Karen Dolan, and all seven members of council voted "Yes" with no comment or discussion. Council will vote again in two weeks on a resolution to make it official.

Hoffman did not attend the March 4 council meeting. No members of the public spoke on Hoffman's behalf at the brief meeting.

Hoffman, through attorney Quintes Taglioli, has decided against taking his chances before a city council subject to public pressure. He has opted instead to defend this matter in an arbitration hearing. He presented no evidence to council and was absent when they made the decision to fire him.

Recchiuti, who chairs the council finance committee, also proposed a resolution to implement a hiring freeze on all city of Bethlehem employees except for police, fire and emergency medical services.

Recchiuti's efforts to look for money-saving avenues for the city came after Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez spoke of the high cost of snow removal this winter at the Feb. 18 council meeting.

Donchez responded to Recchiuti's hiring freeze proposal by asserting that his department heads continually evaluate all open city positions in an effort to make city government more efficient.

"My position," Donchez said, "is that this administration from day one has set the tone of fiscal restraint."

Both Donchez and Recchiuti agreed to send the proposed hiring freeze conversation back to the city council finance committee for further examination.

Bernie O'Hare also contributed to this report.