NEWPORT-The Cocke County Legislative Body approved bonuses for county employees during its regular meeting Monday night.

Under the plan, fulltime employees will receive a bonus of $300, while part-time employees will receive pro-rated bonuses.

CLB member Bill Costner had initially suggested offering the bonuses and the measure was approved by the Finance Committee last week.

The total cost to the county for the one-time bonuses is expected to be around $70,000.

In other business Monday, Chairman Phil Killion reported he, County Mayor Iliff McMahan Jr. and County Finance Director Anne Williams will be testifying before a grand jury on the county's status on jail plans.

McMahan said he will report on the work the CLB has done in addressing the jail situation.

"I will tell them that you funded a jail study and you raised court fees as a manner to help pay for a new jail," said McMahan. "But, without a huge tax increase, I don't see it happening."

Several commissioners expressed concerns over financing a jail project at this time.

"With the economy, this is not the time to put more burden on the taxpayers," said CLB member Norman Smith.

CLB member Jimmy Lindsey said he would prefer seeing a wheel tax rather than a property tax increase when it comes time to fund a jail. "I think it's the only fair tax there is," he said.

McMahan and Sherry Butler of the Cocke County Economic Development Commission reported they will attend an upcoming meeting at Pellissippi State concerning the new Volkswagen plant being constructed in Chattanooga.

Butler said the meeting is for area vendors to hear a presentation on the VW plant. She added she has urged at least one local company to participate in the meeting.

Butler also informed members one local industry, which isn't being identified at this time, is in an expansion mode and is looking at leasing part of the recently vacated Newport Precision, which announced it was closing earlier this year.

In concluding her report, Butler said the EDC, along with NU, is doing a survey on broad band Internet access in the county.

In other reports Monday, Butch Jarnagan of Allied EMS said the service may top 6,000 calls in 2009.

"We had 512 calls in May and we have 3,000 for the first six months of this year," he said. "Our previous yearly high was 5,200."

County Attorney Fletcher Ervin reported efforts are being made to revise the county's new flood plain map. "We were short-changed on the information not included on the map," he said.

In other action by the CLB Monday, commissioners:

• Approved a new E-911 resolution and appointed Norman Smith, Randy Ragan and Bryan Southerland to the E911 Board.

• Approved the re-appointments of Doug Shoemaker and Jack Clark to the Cocke County Regional Planning Commission.

• Voted to operate on a continuing budget until the 2009-10 budget can be approved.

• Voted to adopt a Strategic Economic Development Plan.

• Approved budget transfers recommended by the Finance Committee.

• Approved accepting a $10,376 Bureau of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Grant for 2009.