City of Gatesville holds first town hall for eclipse preparations

The total solar eclipse that will pass directly through the center of Gatesville is nearly six months away, and city officials are beginning to prepare residents for what they can expect on April 8, 2024.  

The City of Gatesville held its first town hall meeting on Sept. 21 to share the initial plans and priorities for the influx of visitors from across the globe who will be traveling to Central Texas.

“I believe we will have the biggest crowds, and it’s best that we get prepared for it. Fortunately, Chief Hunt and Cheri Shepherd have been working on this for a few months already,” Mayor Gary Chumley said.

The path of totality for the eclipse is approximately 150-miles wide. Since Gatesville is closest to the center of its path, the city will witness one of the longest durations of totality at 4 minutes and 23.9 seconds, becoming a prime viewing spot for the event.

“We really want to use this as an opportunity to promote Gatesville as a great place to live and visit, and we want to put our best foot forward when people do show up here,” said Eclipse Coordinator Cheri Shepherd.   

With the possibility of hundreds of thousands of people traveling to and within Texas, Shepherd said the number one priority is public safety, including awareness, education, and preparations for traffic.

“Tonight’s meeting is really about (how) as a community, as the city, and as first responders here, what we are doing to make sure that you as residents and our businesses and visitors have the best possible experience,” she said.

Shepherd adds that she has had the opportunity to connect with city officials from Kentucky and Missouri who were in the center of totality during the total solar eclipse in 2017, which has allowed her to build preparations based on previous experience.  

“I go back to what the mayor in Kentucky said at the end of the 2017 eclipse: ‘That at the end of the day we were grossly over-prepared,’ and I will never apologize for being grossly over-prepared,” Shepherd said. “So, that’s what we’re trying to do.”

The population in Gatesville is approximately 16,198, according to the United States Census Bureau. Although city officials do not know exactly how many visitors Gatesville will receive, Gatesville Police Chief Brad Hunt said the population could double or triple that amount during the weekend of the eclipse.

In 2017, communities at the center of totality suffered from severe traffic jams that lasted up to nine hours. Hunt explains that his team is working with the Texas Department of Transportation and surrounding communities to prepare traffic control and public safety plans.

“We are getting ourselves well-prepared,” Hunt said. “We are in contact with a lot of local and state entities. We have great cooperation through the fire department, EMS, and law enforcement in our area.” 

Hunt adds that the police are also communicating safety measures with businesses, the school district, and other organizations when it comes to hosting events with large crowds.   

“We will be putting information out ahead of time on how to stay safe with the influx of visitors,” Hunt said. “We are going to have a lot of publicity about how the residents and businesses here can have a safe experience.”  

City officials also provided an information sheet for businesses and a checklist for individuals that outline various measures they can take ahead of time to prepare for the event.

Attendees at the meeting asked questions about where day-of visitors will lodge since hotels and RV parks are currently booked in Gatesville, or if traffic causes a delay in leaving the city after the eclipse. Hunt responded that there will be more information in the next town hall meeting about the legalities of renting out rooms in residential homes and camping on private property.

“There will be a very heavy public education part on how to have a safe and legal gathering, and safety tips in renting out rooms if you choose to do that, and what’s the liability through your insurance, do you have permit or if you have to register through Airbnb,” Hunt said.

With restaurants being busier than usual, Shepherd said they will hold a downtown festival during the weekend of the eclipse that will include various activities, food vendors, and entertainment. She adds there will also be T-shirts and eclipse glasses that will be distributed to event attendees.   

A NASA ambassador will also give an educational presentation in the Gatesville City Auditorium on Saturday ahead of the eclipse.

“I’m excited for this to happen for Gatesville, because I think this is going to be the biggest event in the history of our town in terms of the number of people that will come here and be here for several days,” Hunt said.

Shepherd encourages local organizations and businesses to sign up for the festival and for volunteers during the event who want to be involved in the community.  

“For the festival, we want to make this an opportunity for our local businesses and our organizations and nonprofits to come out if they want to raise a little money,” Shepherd said.

After April, the next total solar eclipse will not occur until 2044. Visit  www.gatesvilletxeclipse.com for more information about Gatesville’s preparations for the eclipse.