Thursday, March 28, 2024

Eclipse planning underway for city

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Gatesville Police Chief Brad Hunt recently talked to the Gatesville City Council about the way that an influx of visitors associated with an eclipse projected on April 8, 2024 will impact the community.

"I met with many of the department heads of our city for an initial discussion," Hunt said. "We have to have a plan in place."

He said there will be an anticipated 23.49 seconds of total darkness in the area because of the eclipse, and because of Gatesville's location, it is considered a prime spot to experience the event.

"We can expect not, if people will show up to our town, but how many," Hunt said. He added that Cheri Shepherd, director of the Gatesville Convention & Visitors Bureau, "estimated 16,000 to 20,000 (visitors) and that could be a low estimate."

Hunt said he has a friend in leadership in Waco, and that community is anticipating an additional 100,000 could visit there to experience the eclipse.

"Right down the road (from Waco) is McGregor and then us," Hunt said. "Copperas Cove has hired a planner (to help coordinate the city's preparation for and response to the eclipse). Whether we plan to do something or not, we need to plan for doubling or tripling our population for three to five days. We will look at how we plan for police coverage for that many people for three to five days."

Several major Texas cities, including Houston, are not on the primary path for the eclipse, Hunt said, adding that people who live there could travel to Gatesville to experience the event.

"All campgrounds are booked, everything within a 75-mile radius of Waco is sold out already," he said. "We need to look at the 2017 eclipse (which impacted a different part of the country). People plan to have tents, campers and even cardboard boxes (to stay in).

"It could cost the city up to $100,000 for traffic control, for the city to manage the situation and the impact on wastewater. I've advised officers that there will be no vacation that week. Traffic control will be an issue. As soon as the eclipse passes at 3:05 (p.m.), everyone will be leaving."

Hunt has identified 17 key traffic points where officers will be directing traffic.

"If the Council and new city manager would like to host an event to offset some of the costs, it's important we're all on the same page on that," he said. "We need to talk about what we need in the budget to handle this."

Hunt said city representatives will notify businesses of opportunities and notify Gatesville residents about the need to follow correct procedures.

"We can't just have campers putting sewage down the line, it's not (National Lampoon's) Christmas Vacation," he said. "It didn't work then and it won't work here."

Although more than 11 months remain before the big event, Hunt said it's important to plan early.

"We know it's a big deal," he said. "We're starting to understand the scope of it. Waco has helped us to understand it and will continue to help us.

"We know it's a cooperative effort. Other agencies will be involved, CTCOG (Central Texas Council of Governments), the prison, the hospital, churches, the DPS (Texas Department of Public Safety), the Lions and Exchange clubs. Eventually we'll talk to the media about our plan. The only news today is we plan to have a plan."

Hunt said he has "been told verbally" that the Gatesville Independent School District will not have its students on campus that day, which is a Monday.

"I wonder if you can utilize some of the resources at Fort Hood," Councilman Greg Casey asked.

Hunt said they will be busy with traffic issues surrounding the post.

"Recognize that you will not be able to allow campers on ball fields - you don't need to tear up the town to accommodate it," said Acting City Manager Bill Parry. "The other important point is that Highway 84 is a federal highway. DPS will have to be involved there and also on (state Highway) 36

"My biggest concern is traffic control - getting everyone in and out safely and successfully."