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PORTA Elementary Drop-Off & Pick-up Background & Timeline *The content of this post is also available as a print-friendly PDF, by clicking here . We are very disappointed that the City has put the District in this position and feel it is necessary to clarify much of the misinformation that has been circulating about this situation. We apologize for the length of this letter, but we want to be as transparent as possible about everything that has transpired. The rest of this letter outlines many of the steps and conversations that have taken place since September. There have been numerous conversations that are not documented below, but we hope that the following timeline gives everyone a glimpse into what has transpired since the beginning of the school year. City leadership has commented multiple times that they were not aware that the buses were being moved from Monroe Street to Madison Street when the District was planning for the major renovation project at PORTA Elementary over the summer of 2022. However, based on reports from the previous Superintendent ( link to The Observer Editorial ) and ENGIE (firm completing much of the work at PORTA Elementary), representatives from the City were at numerous planning meetings when the topic was discussed. September 13, 2023: The Superintendent and Principal met with the Mayor, CIty Police Chief, and a City Alderman. This was the first time the Superintendent had been asked to meet with City officials to discuss their concerns regarding the buses utilizing Madison Street, well after the August 17th start of the school year. It was also the first time the Superintendent was made aware that there were concerns. September 14, 2023: The Transportation Coordinator shared a list of concerns with the Superintendent about the buses utilizing Madison Street. Those concerns that needed immediate attention and clarification were addressed to continue to ensure student safety. Other pertinent concerns continued to be discussed throughout this entire process and factored in all District student safety decisions. October 3, 2023: The Superintendent attended the October 3rd City Council meeting at the request of the Mayor. The Council made it clear that they wanted the buses to utilize Monroe street and not Madison. The Superintendent stressed that we should do “what is in the best interest of the safety of our students”. At that time, the Superintendent commented that he believed… Having buses on Madison is safer than having our car riders pick up on Madison There are many moving parts that are affected by any changes we make to bus drop-off times at the elementary (teacher/aide schedules, SASED schedules with other schools sending their students to PORTA, contractual issues, parent/daycare issues, etc.) For the District to move the buses to the top of the hill and continue to have student pickup at the top of the hill (buses load first, then car riders come in behind them as they pull out), would require significant schedule changes (arrival/dismissal times) for all of our schools and shouldn't be implemented until next fall That what is currently happening IS SAFER than what has been done in the past when students were picked up at the bottom parking lot by the gym. However, the Mayor/Council continued to ask the Superintendent "when will those buses be at the top of the hill?". The Superintendent told them that the earliest he could see that change being implemented would be next fall, but only if we come to the conclusion that the change would be the safest and most efficient plan. We would work with the City and Police Chief as we continue to seek the best solution. The Mayor said that the Superintendent just needed to tell everyone that the buses needed to be moved to the top of the hill and that the Superintendent should just say the "Mayor ordered it". October 19, 2023: The Board discussed the issue at their October Board meeting. The Board discussed the current procedures, commending the staff and bus drivers for their work in making the process as safe as possible for students. There was discussion about how students are under direct supervision all the way to parent vehicles and when loading buses at the end of the day. There was also discussion about trying to get the buses and cars at the top of the hill (Monroe Street) and the impact of making such a change to traffic patterns, pickup/dropoff times at other schools, parent schedules, and student learning minutes, making such a change is very challenging midyear. The District wants to work in partnership with the City in developing a plan that continues to keep our kids safe. November 3, 2023: The Superintendent, Transportation Coordinator, Principal, and Mayor met to discuss a plan for addressing bus driver and City concerns with buses loading and unloading on Madison. The Mayor tasked the administration with developing a plan for moving buses to Monroe that must be implemented by January 8th. Even after asking for clarification, as many were at the last City Council meeting where the Council asked only for “a plan” by the 8th, the Mayor insisted that the City Council expected that the plan be fully implemented by January 8th. November 14, 2023: The Superintendent, Transportation Coordinator, Principal, Street Supervisor, and Mayor met to review a plan for moving buses to Monroe. The District then shared with families the developed plan on November 16th, with a scheduled start date of December 1st. November 21, 2023: The Board discussed the proposed plan. After much discussion, the Board felt the proposed plan was not safer nor more efficient than what was currently being implemented at PORTA Elementary. They directed the Superintendent to let the City Council know that we will not be able to implement a new plan by the January 8th deadline and more planning needed to be done before the District was ready to propose any changes. November 27, 2023: The Superintendent sent a letter informing the City Council that they didn’t feel the proposed plan for moving buses to Monroe Street was in the best interest of student safety and not to move forward with a December 1st implementation date. They also expressed the need to continue to study the situation and work with the City in developing a plan that is safe and efficient for all of our students, staff, and parents. The Board proposed expanding upon the current committee to develop a committee that included the Mayor, Superintendent, Principal, Police Chief, Street Official, Transportation Coordinator, two PORTA School Board Members, two City Council Alderman, two PORTA Elementary parents, one PORTA staff member, and one PORTA bus driver to continue to study the issue and report back to their respective Boards/Councils. The District also referenced the Council’s discussion of a permit that the District may need to apply for to keep utilizing the current bus procedures ( link to letter ). December 5, 2023: At the request of the Mayor, the Superintendent attended the December 5th City Council Meeting. The Superintendent asked about the process for applying for a permit to utilize Madison Street with the buses as there had been some discussion that a permit would be needed. There was a motion to approve the permit, but after much discussion the motion was withdrawn in lieu of giving the newly created committee some time to research the issue and develop a plan that could be recommended to both the School Board and the City Council. A few other discussion (questions/concerns) items were also discussed during the meeting, including: Staff parking (where would staff park when buses are moved to the top of the hill)? Is there any thought about the District making the donated land into a parking lot? The Superintendent addressed this question by reminding the Council that the District has major concerns with the parking lots at both Central and the High School which would likely need to be addressed before we looked at adding a lot by PORTA Elementary , as well as our lack of funding to address any of the parking lots at this time. The Superintendent also discussed the need for a long term facility plan. The Mayor asked if we could have staff park at one of the City's parking lots and shuttle employees over to PORTA Elementary. The Superintendent let him know that it would be very unlikely any of our staff would be comfortable with that approach as many may have emergencies arise and few are on the same schedule. Has there been thoughts on addressing the parents who are parking "illegally", too close to intersections, exiting their vehicles, and picking up their students, which adds to issues with bus driver visibility when moving through intersections. Thoughts on dedicated crosswalks and enforcing foot traffic to utilize those crosswalks? If buses continue to use Madison, who will take care of all the upkeep on that street as it isn't designed for buses and will need work very soon? Is the committee too big to get anything done? The Superintendent suggested that all of these questions/concerns were issues for the joint committee to consider. December 18, 2023: The joint committee held its first meeting, which consisted of the following agenda items. The committee completed the first three bullets, but needed to schedule a second meeting to continue the small group discussion as there was still much to discuss and it was late in the evening. The School Board members included Mr. Chick (in attendance) and Mrs. Bilyeu (in attendance. The City Council Aldermen in attendance included Mayor Snyder (replaced Mr. Gorman who could not attend) and Mrs. Hiser. Introductions Ground Rules/Purpose Current Procedures (Pros/Cons) Pros - (discussion notes) Better visibility than before when kids were released at the gym doors. It was very tight and little structure. No signage. Very little security when kids were picked up. Parents wouldn’t follow the “rules” and parents would park elsewhere and walk to get their kids. Lots of concerns with active shooter and student safety. It would be very easy for someone to take advantage of the situation. Very unorganized. Sign situation - helps with pickup of the kids since the parents have the signs with them, helping staff get the correct kids with the correct families. Signs are school issued. Parents on the grassy area also have signs. Very safe for car pick-ups. Kids loading buses are supervised all the way to the buses at the end of the day. Kids are not crossing traffic, either above or below (except those escorted by parent to parent vehicle) Designated space to pull up for car riders to give time to buckle in as necessary. Options for parents who drop off and pick up. Keeps buses and cars separate - keeps kids safer as parents/children don’t walk between/through buses. Doesn’t block any driveways (immediately next to schools). Visibility helps know who should be where, making it easier to identify anyone (anything) out of the ordinary. Different floors for student staging areas at dismissal time. Also helps as all students are dismissing at similar times and kids can be moved easily if they are put on the bus, but were supposed to be picked up by someone else (ex. Grandma was supposed to pick up, but forgot to notify the school). Buses and cars are “still” there so changes can be made fairly easily. Minimizes the exposure to safety concerns. Cons - (discussion notes) Some parents are parking on Monroe and kids/parents are walking across Monroe to get to their parked cars. City is not going to allow buses on Madison. Streets are not built heavy enough for buses and they will have to be replaced after a few years. Streets are not made for drainage, especially when we have to plow snow. Lots of water comes down through that area and makes the ground really soft, which would make the road deteriorate sooner. Other streets are being impacted by the extra weight which weren’t being impacted before the change. Monroe was built up over the years and is the widest street in town. Other roads work better for the heavier buses compared to other roads. Getting to the school for the buses is challenging. There isn’t an easy way to get there, especially in comparison to coming in on Monroe. Bus traffic around the school waiting to get to the Madison drop-off area, backing up buses on side streets. Parking situation, if staff were coming in late and going around buses. Bus drivers feel rushed (due to new changes being implemented to improve conditions). Still dealing with timing issues. Small Group Brainstorming Large Group Discussion (Pros/Cons) Next Steps December 19, 2023: Committee Board Members updated the Board on their progress at the December Board Meeting. The committee met for the first time on Monday, December 18th. At the meeting, the committee reviewed ground rules, purpose for the committee, reviewed the pros and cons of the current procedures, then split into two groups to develop alternative plans. The discussions have been very productive and everyone has had an opportunity to learn from one another about all the implications (traffic patterns, student staging inside the building, security, bus driver concerns, school schedules, parent concerns, etc.) involved in getting students to and from school. The next meeting has been set for January 10th, when the two groups will continue to work on developing their plans, which will then be presented to the entire committee, who will review the pros and cons of the alternative plans. December 21, 2023: The Superintendent received an email from the Mayor stating that the City Council had agreed to going past the January 8th deadline for the meeting to discuss the two plans. The Mayor also said that the City Council wanted the Mayor to have a plan to bring forward at their January 16th meeting, hopefully giving the committee the time needed to finish this up. January 10, 2024: The joint committee meeting was rescheduled for January 17, 2024 due to Mr. Chick (School Board Member) and Mrs. Hiser (City Alderman) not being in attendance. The meeting was rescheduled as it is important for the continuity of the group and discussion. January 17, 2024: The joint committee met and continued small group discussion and planning. The BOE and Council members in attendance included Mr. Chick (School Board Member), Mrs. Bilyeu (School Board Member), Mrs. Hiser (City Alderman), and Mr. Gorman (City Alderman). At the end of the meeting, the small groups felt ready to present to the entire committee to discuss the pros/cons of the plans that were developed. The next meeting was scheduled for January 24th. January 18, 2024: School Board committee members updated the School Board at their January meeting on the progress of the committee: The committee continues to meet and the conversations seem to be very productive. At the next meeting both groups will review two alternative plans. January 24, 2024: As the Mayor was signing out of PORTA Elementary School after presenting with one of the elementary classes, he mentioned to the school secretary that the City would be removing the bus signs that were on Madison on January 26th. January 24th was a Wednesday and he notified a school secretary that the signs would be removed on Friday. He did not notify the Principal, Superintendent, or any administrator, only told the secretary as he was leaving the building. This comment was made before the joint committee meeting that was to be held that evening. January 24, 2024: The joint committee met to discuss the plans that both small groups had developed. The BOE and Council members in attendance included Mr. Chick (School Board Member), Mrs. Bilyeu (School Board Member), and Mrs. Hiser (City Alderman). There was discussion about postponing the meeting as Mr. Gorman was not able to be in attendance, nor was the Mayor. The Transportation Coordinator and Bus Driver were also not able to be in attendance. However, the meeting was not postponed in light of the Mayor’s comment to the school secretary earlier in the day that bus signs would be removed. During the meeting, two plans were discussed. One plan put buses and cars on Monroe. The second plan had cars on Madison utilizing a reconfigured blacktop area (using current blacktop). After discussion of the two plans, the committee discussed a third option, consisting of a hybrid of the two plans. In the end, the committee chose to recommend the hybrid plan as a temporary plan and the reconfigured blacktop plan as the permanent plan. In agreement with the Alderman present at the meeting, the plans were to be shared at a Special Board of Education meeting scheduled for Monday, February 5th, and at the City Council Meeting on the following Tuesday, February 6th. The City Council would then be able to consider the School Board’s recommendation for moving forward. January 25, 2024: The Mayor called the school secretary at PORTA Elementary and said he would be at the school at 2:30pm to talk to someone. She explained that she would be the only one in the office as District leadership was in meetings at the district office (principal interviews). He responded that he would come in and just just talk with her. When notified by the secretary, the Principal called her and told her she could let the Mayor know to come to the district office after 4:00 p.m. instead as leadership was there and that was the earliest they'd likely be finished. The Mayor had told the secretary he doesn't work past 4:00 p.m., so the Principal offered to the secretary she could invite him to the district office at 3:55pm. The Superintendent, Principal, Mayor, and Assistant Police Chief met in the Unit office. The Superintendent inquired about why the Mayor had not informed the administration about the moving of the bus signs on Madison and why he thought it was appropriate to inform a building secretary, but not the Principal or Superintendent. The Superintendent also asked when the City Council approved such action, to which the Mayor responded that the action was taken at the January 16th City Council Meeting. The Superintendent asked why, if it was approved at the January 16th meeting, were we not informed until now? The Mayor replied that he had told Mark (one of the district’s bus drivers) and the Transportation Coordinator who were at the meeting to notify the Superintendent that the action was taken. The conversation between the Superintendent and Mayor escalated into many accusations about false statements and inappropriate behavior until the Mayor and Assistant Police Chief exited the premises. After the meeting, the Superintendent met with the Transportation Coordinator about the Mayor’s claim that action had been taken on moving the bus signs and if the Mayor had directed her or the bus driver in attendance to let the Superintendent know about the action. She had no recollection of the action being taken, nor being told to let the Superintendent know. She also said that the bus driver in question wasn’t even at the meeting that night. Upon further investigation, a City Council Alderman confirmed that no such action was taken. January 25, 2024: A letter was sent to the Mayor and City Council referencing the action taken by the Mayor with his statement to the school secretary on January 24th. The letter was drafted before the Mayor visited the Unit Office on the evening of January 25th and was shared not only with the Mayor and City Council, but with parents of students who attend PORTA Elementary ( link to letter ). January 31, 2024: The District Attorney received a letter from the City of Petersburg’s attorney. The letter stated that “...the City has deferred any further enforcement action until February 9th, 2024. If the school bus procedures do not change following the deadline, the City will review the relevant portions of its City Code of Ordinances related to traffic and streets and sidewalks to determine the existence of violations and/or non-compliance. To the extent the bus processes are inconsistent with the City Code, the City will pursue appropriate remedies to address any violations.” ( link to letter from City Attorney ) The School District’s attorney responded with the following email reply, requesting clarifying information: Jason, I have forwarded your correspondence from last week to my client; we are still formulating a response. In your letter, you referred to City Ordinances which the District's current bus parking arrangement may violate. If possible, please send me any such ordinances which you believe are being violated. Thank you very much. Jeff As of February 10, 2024, the District has not received a reply about which city ordinances the district is currently violating. February 5, 2024: At the Special Board Meeting, the School Board discussed the two plans and took board action. The plans were shared with Committee members, the School Board, and City Council on Wednesday, January 31st so everyone would have sufficient time to review all of the information ( link to email and plans) . The Board reviewed the committee’s recommendation which included two plans. The first plan would be considered the “Permanent Plan”, which would be implemented once future revisions to the current playground were completed. A “Temporary Plan” would be utilized until the “Permanent Plan” was ready to be implemented. The Permanent Plan: Bus Traffic: Buses would drop-off and pick up on Monroe Street. Monroe would be a one-way street running west to east, with staff parking on the north side of the street. Car Rider Traffic: Cars would utilize Madison, which could remain a two-way street. The current playground would be expanded with an entrance on the south (east) side and an exit on the south (west) side (extensive upgrade, requiring expansion of the current blacktop area, sidewalks, and barriers along the south side of classrooms). Cars would enter on the newly created south (east) entrance, circle around and drop-off/pick-up in front of the entrance to the cafeteria, and exit on the south (west) side of the newly created blacktop, heading west. This option would have good visibility and also allow students to be on both floors of the school, greatly improving the inner workings of student traffic. Parents on foot/Car Riders needing to get to Central: Parents/Central traffic could pick up students as they currently do now, utilizing the grassy area in front of the office with students exiting with bus riders or arrangements could be considered for utilizing Madison Street. Teacher Parking: Teachers would park in both parking lots, on Monroe (north side), and also on Madison, likely diagonal where buses are currently picking up. 11th Street could be utilized for car riders needing to be picked up early for parents to get to Central for student pick-up. Temporary Plan (implemented no later than March 1st): Bus Traffic: Buses would utilize Monroe Street for morning drop-off and Madison Street for afternoon pick-up. Monroe would be a one-way street, moving west to east. In the mornings, buses would utilize the middle lane (there would be three lanes, inside one closest to the south sidewalk would be for cars, middle lane for buses, and outside, north lane, for teacher parking). As buses are staggered in drop-off times (coming at different times throughout the 7:45 am - 8:00 am drop-off window), cars would drop-off utilizing the inside lane. When a bus approaches, the bus will utilize the middle lane, driving all the way to the front of the line. Staff would stop the car traffic and the bus would angle in at the front of the car line. The bus would unload, then pull out and continue to the stop sign on 11th, turning left to exit the area. Car unloading would then continue until the next bus arrived. There would be no students unloading from the middle lane (crossing traffic). For bus pick-up (afternoons) buses would utilize Madison Street, moving east to west. To help alleviate road and traffic concerns, buses would pick-up parallel to the north sidewalk five and four buses at a time. The first group of buses (5 buses) would pull up beside the sidewalk, load, then proceed down Madison Street. The next four buses would then park alongside the sidewalk, load and proceed down Madison Street with the final four loading in the same fashion. This should help with reducing bus traffic on Madison and the concerns the City has with wear and tear on the street. It also allows students to be dismissed from both levels of the building, keeping inside student traffic much more manageable. Car Rider Traffic: Car rider traffic would continue as is, with modifications only made in the mornings with the addition of buses dropping off on Monroe Street. In the afternoon, car riders would dismiss on Monroe as is currently the practice. Parents on foot/Car Riders needing to get to Central: Parents/Central traffic would continue as is currently the practice. Much of the Board’s discussion focused on the cost and timeline for the Permanent Plan, which would require considerable resources to implement. There was also much discussion about the City’s wishes for the buses to move to Monroe. Many of the Board members were concerned with so many unknown factors, the timeline and cost of the permanent solution, and how making a midyear change would impact all of our students, staff, parents, and drivers. As there were many bus drivers in attendance, the Board asked for their input on the timeline and the practice of the fleet picking up in “waves” (5 buses, followed by 4 buses, followed by the last 4 buses) at the end of the day. The drivers felt that they would be fine returning to the original plan, implemented last year and at the beginning of this fall, with an understanding that the buses would be on Monroe Street next fall. They believe having the entire fleet on Madison, angle parked, is better than having to parallel park with only a limited number of buses due to space. There was also discussion about whether or not the City would support this plan for the remainder of this year, knowing that the buses would be moved to Monroe next fall. Based on modifications that would likely need to be made to move cars to Madison, the District believes that the safest option would be to continue with buses on Madison and cars on Monroe until modifications to areas on Madison can be made to make it safe for car drop-off and pick-up, which could be completed by next fall. The Board approved a motion to have the current drop-off and pick-up procedures at PORTA Elementary (what has been in place since August 2022) continue through the remainder of this school year. They approved in that same motion to move forward next year with a plan similar to the presented permanent plan that would move buses to Monroe. February 6, 2024: The Superintendent informed the Mayor and City Council of the action the Board took on February 5th so that the City Council could discuss the Board’s action at their meeting on February 6th. The Superintendent sent the message through email, as well as attaching the Board Notes for the February 6th meeting: Hi all (Committee Members, Council Alderman, Mayor, Board Members), I have attached the Board Notes from the School Board meeting yesterday evening. I would suggest looking over the first Board Discussion Items as it will help review the conversation of the Board concerning the proposed committee plan. In particular... Much of the Board’s discussion focused on the cost and timeline for the Permanent Plan, which would require considerable resources to implement. There was also much discussion about the City’s wishes for the buses to move to Monroe. Many of the Board members were concerned with so many unknown factors, the timeline and cost of the permanent solution, and how making a midyear change would impact all of our students, staff, parents, and drivers. As there were many bus drivers in attendance, the Board asked for their input on the timeline and the practice of the fleet picking up in “waves” (5 buses, followed by 4 buses, followed by the last 4 buses) at the end of the day. The drivers felt that they would be fine returning to the original plan, implemented last year and at the beginning of this Fall, with an understanding that the buses would be on Monroe Street next Fall. They believe having the entire fleet on Madison, angle parked, is better than having to parallel park with only a limited number of buses due to space. There was also discussion about whether or not the City would support this plan for the remainder of this year, knowing that the buses would be moved to Monroe next fall. Based on modifications that would likely need to be made to move cars to Madison, the District believes that the safest option would be to continue with buses on Madison and cars on Monroe until modifications to areas on Madison can be made to make it safe for car drop-off and pick-up, which could be completed by next Fall. Also, under the Action Items section, you can read the action the Board took on the issue: Approved a motion to have the current drop-off and pick-up procedures at PORTA Elementary to continue as was practiced at the beginning of the school year through the remainder of this school year. Next year, a plan similar to the presented permanent plan will be utilized with buses on Monroe. Thanks, Shannon ( link to the February 6th Board Notes ) February 6, 2024: The City Council meeting met and there was no mention of the School Board’s decision, nor was there any mention of the changing of signage around PORTA Elementary school forcing buses to Monroe Street. February 9, 2024: After school dismissal time, and after many staff members had left for the weekend, the City moved, added, and replaced various signs around PORTA Elementary. They have added “No Thru Buses” signs on Madison and “No Thru Traffic When Buses Are Present” signs on Monroe, as well as numerous “No Parking 7AM - 4PM MON-FRI” signs on numerous streets around PORTA Elementary. They gave no notification to the District or School of the specific changes that were to take place and took this action on a Friday afternoon when many staff members had already left for the day. They have set the stage for a very chaotic situation on Monday, and moving forward as they have severely limited the ability of the school to utilize all streets in a manner that ensures the safest environment for our students, staff, and parents. The District is very concerned about the action recently taken by the City and wonders…. When did the City know they were going to make the specific changes to signage and why didn’t they give District officials a detailed plan for what was going to be done? They had enough time to make a plan for where the signs would be located and were able to procure the signs, yet didn’t have time to give the District a detailed plan so the District could prepare? How was this decision made and who had the authority to take this sort of action as there was not a formal ordinance or resolution passed by the City Council? On February 5th, the District had agreed to move the buses to Monroe Street in the fall. However, to do so before making modifications to facilities (either modifying the existing playground area or modifying the lower parking lot) would not provide a safer, more efficient process than what is currently practiced. The necessary changes would need to be made this summer, so why was there such urgency to make these changes during the school year when the District has stressed numerous times that a midyear change would not be in the best interest of student safety? And does the City Council truly believe this action created a safer process than what was currently being practiced, especially when there was insufficient time for the District to prepare students, parents, and bus drivers? The District has tried to work collaboratively with the Mayor from the beginning of September when the Superintendent first met with the Mayor and City Alderman. However, our collaborative efforts have only been met with hostility and rigidity, which has made it very frustrating and difficult for the District to continue to work toward solutions that keep our students safe and work efficiently for students, staff, and parents. We are extremely frustrated in how this matter has been handled by the City and are very concerned that, due to the actions of City leadership, we are being forced to implement a plan that IS NOT AS SAFE, nor as efficient, as the procedures we have been implementing since August 2022. We know that everyone in our community has the safety of our students at the forefront of their decision making, yet we do not understand how these actions could be considered in the best interest of student safety. As we continue to adjust our procedures to meet the City’s demands as demonstrated through their recent actions, we encourage you to contact City leadership and/or City Council members to help clarify any questions or voice concerns you may have (contact info from City’s website): Mayor Rick Snyder (217) 632-3600 mayor@petersburgil.org New Member - website has not been updated with contact info Alderman Ward 1 Heidi Hiser Alderman Ward 1 (217) 341-9403 Andrew Gain Alderman Ward 2 (217) 691-1391 Mike Allison Alderman Ward 2 (217) 737-8969 Bruce Gorman Alderman Ward 3 (309) 740-8368 Rick Sonnemaker Alderman Ward 3 (217) 899-9122 Police Chief - Michael Nichols Non Emergency - (217) 632-7137 petersburgpd@casscomm.com