Burnet County has declared a “local state of disaster” from April 4-10 in anticipation of the April 8 total solar eclipse, which is expected to more than double the county’s population. Several other counties expecting an impact from the eclipse also made disaster declarations, including Travis, Bell, Kendall, Kerr, and San Saba counties.
“The best-case scenario is that this is a July Fourth on steroids,” said Burnet County Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio in an interview with DailyTrib.com following the declaration. “The worst-case scenario is local roads being unusable and cell networks going down.”
Burnet County Judge James Oakley signed the declaration of emergency order on Tuesday, March 12. It goes into effect at midnight on April 4 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on April 10. The Commissioners Court has the power to extend the order if it chooses.
Burnet County and the Highland Lakes region are in the “path of totality” of the eclipse, which will pass from the southwest to the northeast directly through Lake Buchanan and offer the longest exposure to the complete shadowing of the sun by the moon. Another total solar eclipse will not happen in this region again for at least 360 years.
Totality will last for approximately four minutes and 26 seconds starting at around 1:36 p.m., but the moon will take about 2½ hours to pass across the sun. The entire eclipse will be from 12:17 p.m. to 2:57 p.m.
The ‘path of totality’ of the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse runs directly through Lake Buchanan, making Burnet and Llano counties the best locations to see it. TimeandDate.com map
According to Marchio, the primary concern for officials is traffic from the onslaught of eclipse watchers. He estimates that travel times in the region could at least double, if not quadruple, which would make it impossible to promptly respond to emergencies.
The mass of visitors also could negatively impact cell service. The combined population of Burnet and Llano counties is about 77,000. The region’s roads and cell towers are not equipped to handle a doubling of demand overnight.
“We’re hoping that we can get as much of the population as prepared as possible,” Marchio said.
The disaster declaration includes a burn ban from April 4-10 to reduce the likelihood of emergency fire calls while roads are congested.
The declaration also made several strong recommendations to Burnet County residents:
Register all public and private events with a capacity of 50 or more at bctxeclipse.com.
Make appropriate preparations, such as purchasing groceries, fuel, and medication the weekend before the eclipse.
Do not over-purchase and engage in “panic buying.”
Do not schedule appointments or try to run errands on April 8.
Have backup communication plans in case cell service goes out.
Only call 911 in a true emergency, like a threat to life, potential loss of eyesight or limb, or severe injury.
Llano County has not declared a state of emergency, and according to Emergency Management Coordinator Gilbert Bennett, it does not plan to do so until something happens.
“We have (a declaration) on standby,” he told DailyTrib.com. “You can’t declare a disaster until there is one.”
Llano County has some of the best eclipse-watching spots in the state, which could attract a large number of visitors, but Bennett did not want to declare a disaster based on speculation. He said it was the responsibility of residents to adequately prepare for heavy traffic, supply shortages, and spotty cell service.
“The key is to be prepared,” he said. “Every individual in every community needs to prepare and make their own plans. That will take the stress off emergency operations.”
Local leaders in Llano County have held town hall meetings and disseminated eclipse information for months to prepare residents.
Marchio told DailyTrib.com he is not sure exactly what will happen during the eclipse but said it would be better to be over-prepared than under.
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The saga of the old Reagor building at 300 N. Water St. in Burnet looks to be over. The fate of the 85-year-old granite structure, ravaged by a fire in December 2022, was argued in district court in December 2023 and by the Burnet City Council this past January before the building was demolished in February. The property sold in a tax auction on March 5.
Lot 2, Block 29 in the Peter Kerr portion of the city of Burnet sold for $173,000 to 4SP Holdings LLC. The agent for the company is listed with the Texas Comptroller’s Office as Alan Snider of Alan Snider Real Estate, 308 N. Water St. It was the highest price paid in an online auction of 13 properties. Most sold between $10,000 and $20,000. The lowest price was $2,900 for a 0.174-acre lot in the Reavis Ranch Estates Subdivision in Burnet County.
The auction money will be used to pay around $48,000 in back taxes on the property dating from 2020. It will also satisfy a lien placed by the city of Burnet for building demolition costs.
The city hired Maynard Construction Services to clear the building the week of Feb. 19. It then placed a lien on the property for $38,682 to pay for demolition and attorney fees incurred when Ken Reagor, one of seven listed owners, filed for a temporary restraining order in December 2023 to stop an earlier planned demolition.
Judge Evan Stubbs of the 424th Judicial District issued the restraining order, stopping a demolition set for Dec. 4, 2023. Both sides met in Judge Stubbs’ courtroom on Dec. 14 and agreed to take the issue to the City Council one more time. Reagor agreed to abide by whatever the council decided.
Several people, including Burnet County Historical Commission Chair Rachel Bryson, spoke to the council about the historical significance of the building, asking for more time to research its chances of being saved.
The council voted unanimously to issue an order declaring the building violated “minimum standards of the city’s Code of Ordinances …” and was not safe.
Property owners were given 30 days to remove the building, and when they did not, the city hired a contractor.
The home was built in 1936 by A.L. Warren using scrap or waste granite from Granite Mountain in Marble Falls. During the Depression era (1929-39), the quarry left piles of granite chunks by RR 1431 for anyone to claim. Many homes in Marble Falls, Burnet, and Bertram were built of the free stone, and several of those are still in use.
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Public comments for two major Lower Colorado River Authority plans — one for drought and the other for water conservation — are due by March 13 and March 27, respectively. Submit comments online.
“This is the time for people to have their voices heard,” said Shannon Hamilton, executive director of the Central Texas Water Coalition, which advocates for the conservation of water in the Highland Lakes.
The Drought Contingency Plan helps the LCRA monitor and respond to drought and other water supply shortages that can disrupt getting water its customers.
Proposed changes to the current plan include adding a drought response stage and requirements for customers, such as mandatory water curtailments rather than voluntary. Banning automatic irrigation systems and using cumulative inflows to advance drought stages are also on the table.
The LCRA Board of Directors will consider the proposed plan during a regular meeting on March 26 in Austin.
WATER CONSERVATION PLAN
The Water Conservation Plan outlines practices to reduce the consumption and loss of water by promoting strategies that improve or maintain water levels.
The LCRA’s current Water Conservation Plan includes five- and 10-year conservation goals for municipal, industrial, and agricultural users.
LCRA directors will consider the proposed plan during a regular meeting on April 25 in Brenham.
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Marble Falls residents can view a draft of the city’s new comprehensive plan during an open house from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at Lakeside Pavilion, 307 Buena Vista Drive.
“It’s input into what your city’s going to look like — not today but tomorrow,” Mayor Dave Rhodes said. “There’s all kinds of issues that will be discussed. This is an opportunity for the citizenry to give their input.”
The open house comes before the drafted plan is sent to the Marble Falls Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council for adoption later this spring.
“It’s not final,” Rhodes said. “We’re a couple of months off away from it being final.”
Last updated in 2016, the comprehensive plan is a decision-making “guide” for city officials.
“We haven’t done one in a while, so we’re really excited to get this one on the books,” Rhodes said.
The plan addresses capital improvements and zoning and helps elected officials create budgets for future fiscal years.
“It’s a cohesive plan that pulls your city together in a specific direction for specific reasons and purposes,” Rhodes said.
It also plays a role in the city’s eligibility for state and federal grants.
“(Grant awarders) need to be able to see that you’re actually planning as a city and that you’re not shooting from the hip,” Rhodes said.
Survey results from residents helped shape the plan.
“The idea behind getting the citizenry involved is that they’re a big part of what the city is going to look like,” Rhodes said.
He believes the drafted plan does a good job of balancing the varied opinions of city stakeholders.
“We put all these thoughts together and tried to mix it in with the flavor and character of the city that already exists,” Rhodes said. “This is what we think it should look like based on all those conversations.”
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Check agendas to see if the following government meetings are in person, virtual, or both. Agendas are posted 72 hours before a meeting so are not always ready by the time this list is published. Check links for more information.
review racial profiling report for 2023 for the Llano County Sheriff’s Office
approve the purchase of 20 M500 in-car body-worn cameras and 5 years of cloud video service manager for $85,126
approve the reapplication of the 2023 Congressional Community Project Funding grant of $6.45 million for the design and construction of a new Criminal Justice Center
approve a non-disclosure agreement with Frontier Communications Parent Inc. and Llano County to be able to interact with Frontier for plans to expand broadband fiber internet service
approve a 15-year extension of the LCRA’s lease at Llano County Park
accept gift cards from H-E-B for food and supplies for law enforcement and first responders during shifts for the April 8 total solar eclipse
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Sara McKinney of Granite Shoals didn’t realize how much “Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-by World” would impact her life when she signed up for the life skills program in 2023.
“This class really taught me what being unstable was,” she told the Marble Falls EDC Board of Directors during a regular meeting on March 6, during which funding for the program was approved. “It gave me the tools to become responsible and move forward.”
Months later, McKinney is now a homeowner and a registered nurse and helps others in the transformational program as an instructor.
“Because of the class, I know how to avoid the ‘sharks’ that will make me unstable again,” she said. “They never teach you this stuff in high school.”
McKinney is one of 36 graduates of the 16-week program, which is made possible through a partnership with Workforce Network Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to workforce development in the Highland Lakes.
“It brings individuals together in a kitchen table-type atmosphere,” said Workforce Network President Fay Crider. “(Participants) look at their lives from 11 different resources and identity where they are and where they want to go to in order to move to stability.”
The program is sorely needed for those seeking a path to success, Crider said.
“In my business of workforce development, I found it important to identify a way to move individuals from instability to stability,” she said. “We believe we found it. It is the ‘Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-by World’ program.”
Due to that positive impact, the EDC board on Wednesday voted to chip in $5,000 for each 16-week course, up to four. Each of the four courses must have a minimum of 10 people enrolled, and classes have to be held in Marble Falls to be eligible for the money.
“This is good stuff,” EDC Director John Packer said of the program. “We need this so bad.”
Another recent program graduate, Meggan Lewis of Kingsland, also shared her story at the meeting.
“I got into this class and felt the most stable I’ve felt in my entire life,” she said. “I had so much instability and uncertainty in my life before it.”
Lewis credited “Getting Ahead” for changing the way she views the world.
“One thing that stuck with me the entire time I was in the class was that it’s not what you know, but who you know,” she said. “The more people you know, the more resources you have.”
She started EMT classes in Blanco on March 4 to prepare for a future career as a firefighter.
“I’m excited, nervous, scared — all of the above,” she laughed.
Classes for “Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-by World” are held once a week for 16 weeks from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 105 RR 1431 in Marble Falls. The program offers food and childcare during classes to ensure maximum accessibility for its students.For more information, call Celice Goad at 830-385-5713.
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Construction is underway for an 8,250-square-foot chapel at the Ellen Halbert Unit women’s prison in Burnet. The nonprofit Joseph’s Hammer has raised over $2 million to provide space for faith-based classes, worship services, and other chaplaincy programs for the 1,100 offenders who come through the unit each year.
“We still need $650,000 to complete everything to state standards,” Joseph’s Hammer Director Pam Stevenson told DailyTrib.com. “We will keep raising money ’til Jesus comes home. We are not going to quit, but we wanted to get started.”
The 27-year-old Ellen Halbert Unit is a six-month substance abuse treatment and in-prison therapeutic community for women. Most of the inmates are first-time offenders and mothers who return to their communities.
“The chaplaincy programs use about 200 volunteers from our community,” Stevenson said. “We go in and teach Bible studies and different programs, some faith-based, to help them reconcile with family members and to stay on track when they are released. We help give them the tools they need to succeed.”
Currently, the few classrooms available only hold 26 students. Classes have long waiting lists that will be eliminated with more and bigger rooms.
Both the contractor and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice have agreed to let construction begin while Joseph’s Hammer continues to raise money.
Two upcoming fundraisers should help close the gap:
the Testament of Freedom concert featuring the Heart of Texas Orchestra and Chorale at 4 p.m. May 19 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 105 RR 1431 in Marble Falls;
and the Raise the Roof dinner, dancing, auction, and music featuring Jake Hooker and The Outsiders at 6 p.m. June 22 in the Hill Country Community Foundation Reed Building, 402 E. Jackson St. in Burnet.
The Testament of Freedom concert was put together by a member of Hill Country Fellowship Church in Burnet; Raise the Roof was organized by The Church at Horseshoe Bay’s music program.
“We haven’t done a lot of fundraiser events in the past, and we didn’t ask for any of this, but the community has really rallied around us and God is providing,” Stevenson said. “We are trusting God to keep this going and finish this.”
Costs for the chapel project have increased over the past few years, especially for things like razor wire, which has tripled in price.
“This is not just a simple commercial build,” Stevenson said. “Everything has to be engineered to secure state prison specifications.”
Once the building is complete, it will be turned over to the TDCJ to maintain and operate with the understanding it is to be used for chaplaincy programs.
The project has been six years in the making and was slowed down by the 2020 pandemic and a required two-year waiting period for state approval.
“We are moving forward in faith,” Stevenson said. “We are really excited to see construction underway, and we really believe it will be finished by the end of the year.”
Donations may be made online or by check made payable and mailed to Joseph’s Hammer, P.O. Box 7960, Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657.
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Emotions ran high at the Burnet County Historical Commission’s regular meeting on Tuesday, March 5, where the main topic was the fire-damaged historic Conrad Fuchs House in Horseshoe Bay. Jennifer Raley, who owns the house with husband Paul, teared up several times as she talked about the loss. The Raleys were living in the home as they restored it.
“I cannot express to you the heartbreak we are experiencing right now,” she said. “This was our future, our retirement, our plan for the rest of our lives.”
As the commission discussed having a historic preservation expert assess the stability of the rock walls left standing, and writing a resolution in support of restoring the 150-year-old home, Raley spoke out in frustration.
“The house sat in ruins for decades,” she said. “It got passed around like a hot potato for years. We chose to put money into it four years ago, and everybody started telling us what to do with it.”
BCHC Chair Rachel Bryson and several other members of the committee quickly assured Raley they did not want to dictate next steps.
“We desperately want to save whatever can be saved,” Bryson said. “We are talking with the state (Texas Historical Commission) to see if we can at least get a report on the stability of the rock walls.”
She also explained that the proposed resolution, which will be presented to the Burnet County Commissioners Court at its 9 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, March 12, is to bring attention to the loss and drum up any financial support available.
Burnet County Tourism Director Blair Manning, who is helping write the resolution, chimed in.
“None of this will be out of your pocket,” she said, also tearing up. “We are not here to tell you what to do. We’re here to support you.”
BCHC member Caryl Calsyn, who is also on the Friends of the Conrad Fuchs Committee, also voiced her support, her voice cracking with emotion.
“We tried everything we could to save it for the community,” she said of past efforts to renovate the house as a local resource. “We cared for that house.”
German immigrant Conrad Fuchs built the house in 1880. It became the center of communal activity as the area’s first post office. It was also a stagecoach station and had a nearby community center, sawmill, gristmill, cotton gin, and sugar cane press. It was handed back and forth between the city of Horseshoe Bay, the Horseshoe Bay Property Owners’ Association, and Jaffee Interests LP from 2002 to 2020, when the Raleys bought it from the city.
“We were given the opportunity because the city (of Horseshoe Bay) didn’t want anything to do with it anymore,” Raley told BCHC members.
The Texas Historical Commission granted the house a subject marker in 1976. It was stored in the home and destroyed by the fire.
After an hour of discussion, the commission voted to write a resolution to be presented to county commissioners for approval that urges support to investigate the possibility of restoring the house. Bryson promised to keep Raley informed of further developments or discussions about the house, including asking the Texas Historical Commission for a new marker with updated information that would include the fire.
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The Burnet County Democratic Party hosts a grand opening of its 2024 campaign headquarters in Burnet on Sunday, March 10. The event is from 2-4 p.m. at 611 S. Water St. (U.S. 281).
“We are so excited to open our headquarters in Burnet,” said party Chairperson Susan O’Brien in a media release. “We hope you will join us in celebration.”
Visitors can tour the facility and enjoy snacks and beverages.
The headquarters will offer election information, register voters, hold party and club meetings, plan outreach activities, and host candidates looking to connect with Burnet County residents.
For more information on the Burnet County Democratic Party, visit its website or email burnetcodemparty@gmail.com. You can also follow it on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
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