Beer created a buzz at last night’s Elgin City Council meeting. Over 100 people attended the meeting as the city council, mayor and fire chief signed a letter agreeing that beer would no longer be kept in a refrigerator in the fire station. The beer became an issue after councilwoman Jean Roach attended a meeting of the volunteer fire department and discovered firefighters drank the beer kept at the station after their meetings. Roach reported the beer to the city’s insurance company, saying she was concerned about the city’s liability. It was noted that it is NOT illegal to keep the beer at the station, however the insurance company sent a letter to the city saying the beer had to be removed or the insurance coverage would be dropped. The beer has since been removed. Several people at last night’s meeting, including some council members, asked Roach to resign for the bad publicity the issue has caused the department. They say the matter should’ve been handled internally. Roach declined to resign. The firefighters meet tomorrow to talk about the issue again.
