Several major announcements, including the resignation of Slatington's recently hired borough manager, Kevin Deppe, were made at the borough's Monday evening council meeting.

Hints at Deppe's departure were made by several residents who took the podium during the opening public comment portion of the meeting. However, it was not until council reconvened from an executive session to discuss personnel and legal matters, toward the end of the meeting, that the public announcement, via a motion to accept his resignation, was made.Councilman Galen Freed made the motion to accept the resignation letter, with regrets, from Deppe. Council unanimously approved the motion.Councilman David Schnaars later said that Deppe, who started his position July 21, had resigned as of Friday. He did not provide a reason for Deppe's resignation.In addition, council unanimously approved the appointment of Councilman Galen Freed to the unpaid position of open records officer to process the borough's many right-to-know requests from the public.Schnaars said this duty was previously handled by solicitor Ed Healy and then former council President Daniel Stevens before Deppe had taken it over when becoming borough manager.Earlier in the meeting, council approved the appointment of Joseph Wechsler, Independent, to serve until the January 2016 reorganization meeting. All members present approved, with Wechsler abstaining.Wechsler is taking over the council position left vacant by former Councilwoman Amanda Trelease, who had been appointed June 16 to fill the vacancy left by former President Daniel Stevens, who had resigned June 1.Trelease's letter of resignation was accepted at council's Sept. 8 meeting.Lastly, Schnaars asked that council appoint Nathan Stubbs to the Slatington Parks and Recreation Commission, saying that though several people have expressed interest in the commission in the past, Stubbs is the first to submit a letter of to that effect.Stubbs was unanimously appointed to the standard 3-year term.Schnaars also said that borough solicitor Steckel & Stopp would be preparing the future Northern Lehigh Recreation Authority's articles of incorporation pro bono for the public to later read and comment on.In other news, at least six members of the public commented at the opening of the meeting, including resident Debra Strohl, who told council she had recently received a warning from the borough code enforcement officer for feeding stray cats in her neighborhood. She said she had already had the cats vaccinated and fixed.Rather than feed them, Freed said it would be better if the borough's animal control officer is notified. However, both Strohl and other residents said the animals would only be euthanized.After Strohl, resident Kris Burek told council from the podium that Pennsylvania has no law regarding feral cats and that Animal Cruelty Code Section 55-11, Subsection C, states that, whether someone owns an animal or not, a person who "wantonly or cruelly ill treats ... abuses ... or neglects any animal as to which he has the duty to care" commits a summary offense. She likened a citation for feeding stray cats to one for putting out birdfeeders or feeding ducks at a park.