NEWPORT-The Public Safety Committee of the Cocke County Legislative Body moved ahead with plans to address concerns by the state and local fire marshals concerning overcrowding at the Cocke County Courthouse.

Meeting Monday in the Chancery Courtroom of the Courthouse Annex, members took two more steps in trying to resolve the issues.

First, following a motion by Michael McCarter, members voted to have the Finance Committee look at hiring an additional bailiff to help in crowd control, both at the Courthouse and at the Newport City Council meeting room, where people are being staged during court days.

Sheriff Armando Fontes said it would probably cost less money to hire a new bailiff than to use his lowest paid officer on overtime. He said, to have one fulltime and one part-time bailiff would cost an estimated $40,344, where using existing personnel would cost the county more than $44,000.

For more details, please see the Tuesday edition of the Newport Plain Talk.