RECAP: Poe Fest returning; ambulance billing may be coming

Expect the Edgar Allan Poe Festival to return to downtown Riverhead next Halloween. Town Board members welcomed the idea of bringing it back during a discussion with festival creator Sal St. George and BID president Ray Pickersgill at Thursday’s work session.  Mr. St. George said he’d like to do a “War of the Worlds” broadcast next year. 

Officials said they thought the inaugural festival this past fall was a success, despite heavy rains on two of the three days of the event.

The board also renewed its discussion of having third-party billing for ambulance calls, something they last discussed publicly in 2013, only this time they are proposing to limit it to just car accidents.

Supervisor Sean Walter said the town was waiting for its current contract with Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance to expire to bring the issue up again. He thinks it can bring in about $500,000 in revenue to the corps, from insurance payments for ambulance use. The board discussed the issue with the executive director of the Port Jefferson Volunteer Ambulance, which does billing in two incorporated villages it covers.

Click below to read a recap of News-Review reporter Tim Gannon’s live blog of the meeting to see what else was discussed.

To follow or comment, click below, and see the full meeting agenda below that.

December 4,2014 – Agenda by Timesreview