2023 04 13 WS Minutes MINUTES OF THE REGULAR WORK SESSION OF THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
April 13, 2023
The City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, met in a Regular Work Session on Thursday,
April 13, 2023, at 5:32 P.M. in the Council Chamber of the Baytown City Hall at 2401 Market
Street, Baytown, Texas, with the following in attendance:
Laura Alvarado Council Member
Sarah Graham Council Member
Kenrick Griffith Council Member
Heather Betancourth Council Member
Jacob Powell Mayor Pro Tern
Mike Lester Council Member
Brandon Capetillo Mayor
Jason Reynolds City Manager
Scott Lemond City Attorney
Angela Jackson City Clerk
Mayor Brandon Capetillo convened the April 13, 2023, City Council Regular Work Session with
a quorum present at 5:32 P.M., and with all member present.
1. DISCUSSIONS
a. Receive a Presentation of the Baytown Image Research and Marketing Strategy.
Public Affairs Director Thomas Reeves opened the item concerning the Baytown Image Research
and Marketing Strategy Project. The Development Counselors International (DCI) were in Bay-
town to do a series of focus groups on behalf of the project. Mr. Reeves noted that they were in
their research phase and that the consultants wished to hear from Council. He then introduced and
turned the floor over to DCI Representatives Ms. Sarah Reinecke and Ms. Robyn Domber.
Ms. Reinecke and Ms. Domber further introduced their organization and relayed that DCI would
ultimately deliver a marketing strategy and a roadmap to help the City of Baytown share its story
with the world. Ms. Reinecke informed Council that it would be an eight (8) month project. DCI
had already started in January and would deliver their final product at the end of August. In be-
tween that time, the process of the project the representatives discussed was presented as follows:
1.MARKET 2.BRAND IDENTITY 3.MARKETING
RESEARCH AND MESSAGING BLUEPRINT
- Immersion Tour - Brand Audit - Marketing Strategy and Imple-
- External Perception Study - Target Audience Identification mentation Plan
- Community Engagement - Brand Promise - Timeline
- Existing Research Reviews - Key Messages - Budget
- SWOT Analysis - Messaging Collateral - Key Performance Indicators
City Council Regular Work Session Minutes
April 13,2023
Page 2 of 4
Ms. Domber noted an integral part of their research phase had been a community intercept survey.
The survey entailed a DCI team on the ground in Baytown interviewing people one-on-one. It had
been a success as they connected with four hundred (400) individuals from diverse locations in
Baytown as well as the Houston-Metro area. The feedback among residents was that they were
proud to live in Baytown. They viewed it positively, but particularly as a place to work. However,
what they were missing was how to communicate those strengths to outside audiences. The per-
spective of Baytown was different based on the information they received from the Houston-Metro
area. Thus, it was their job to form a messaging that would communicate Baytown's assets.
Ms. Domber relayed that they wished to include Council in their research and discovery phase
with a focus group exercise. Below are the series of questions posed to Council and their responses.
WHAT MAKES BAYTOWN UNIQUE?
Council Member Graham Council Member Lester
• Diverse Demographics • Giving/Togetherness Community
• Work Opportunities • Fast Response to Major Storms
• Traditions/Flagship Locations • "Get Things Done" Sentiment
• Open-Minded Community
• Big City with a Small-Town-Feel Mayor Capetillo
• Global Community
Council Member Alvarado • Petrochemical Neighbors
• Unique Location/Port • Logistics with the Port of Houston
• Opportunities with SH-99 • Global Reach of Baytown Products
• Intermodal Transportation Accessibility
Council Member Griffith • Faith-Filled Community
• People/Diverse Cultures
• Sense of Community Council Member Betancourth
• Manufactures Global Products
Mayor Pro Tem Powell - e.g.Yankee Candle Wax and Folgers
• Workforce/People Coffee Can Base
Ms. Domber noted that the global reach of Baytown was an example of a story external audiences
were not aware of. Hence, this prompted the next question that was asked to the Council.
WHAT STORIES SHOULD THE WORLD HEAR ABOUT BAYTOWN?
Council Member Graham Council Member Lester
• Efforts to Change Perception of City • Connections to Hollywood
• Baytown's History • Movies Filmed in Baytown
• Wetlands Center/Free Amenities - e.g.HellFighters and RoboCop 2
• Famous People from Baytown • Celebrities from Baytown
- e.g.Jennifer Garner,Renee Zellweger.
Council Member Griffith Gary Busey,etc.
• Ties to Creation of Ardmore, Oklahoma Council Member Betancourth
• Interconnectivity with Other Areas • Birthplace of ExxonMobil
• History of Brownwood/Nature Center • Sport Celebrities from Baytown
City Council Regular Work Session Minutes
April 13,2023
Page 3 of 4
WHAT ARE THE BEST KEPT SECRETS ABOUT BAYTOWN?
Council Member Graham Council Member Betancourth
• Healthcare Accessibility • Proximity to Houston
• Transportation Accessibility • Cost of Living
WHAT ARE BAYTOWN'S STRENGTHS FOR CORPORATE INVESTMENTS?
Council Member Betancourth Mayor Capetillo
• Tax Abatements • Logistical Growth Potential
• Infrastructure Accessibility • Waterfront Potential
• Educated/Skilled Workforce • Regional Location Benefits
• Political Climate Supportive of Industry
Growth Council Member Alvarado
• Land Availability
Council Member Graham • Technical Education Availability for
• Synergy Between Large Industry Entities Workforce
IS THERE AN INTEREST IN FURTHER DIVERSIFICATION OF THE ECONOMY?
IF SO,WHAT INDUSTRIES WOULD DO WELL IN BAYTOWN?
Council Member Graham Council Member Betancourth
• Waterfront Tourism/Recreation • Sports Tourism
• Corporate Tourism
Mayor Capetillo
• Ecotourism/General Tourism
Ms. Domber then questioned who was Council's target audience and who would be prioritized to
hear Baytown's message. Mayor Capetillo responded noting the differences between their internal
and external messages about Baytown. He simply requested that both complement each other.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT BAYTOWN?
Council Member Graham Council Member Lester
• Nicknamed"The Dirty Bay" • Low Income/Low Class
• Blue Collar Neighborhoods
Council Member Alvarado • No Amenities/Recreation
• Different Communities/Districts Seeing • Poor Housing Stock
Themselves Separate as Opposed to a • Traffic Issues
Whole
Council Member Betancourth
Mayor Capetillo • Dirty
• Presence of Millionaires per Capita • Only Blue Collar Jobs
AS BAYTOWN EVOLVES,WHAT CHARACTERISTICS SHOULD BE PRESERVED?
Mayor Capetillo Council Member Alvarado
• Oil and Gas Heritage • Sense of Community
At 6:20 P.M., Council Member Heather Betancourth stepped out of the Work Session meeting.
City Council Regular Work Session Minutes
April 13,2023
Page 4 of 4
(CONTINUED)
Council Member Griffith Council Member Graham
• Preserve History/Cultural History • Diversity of People/Demographics
WHAT WOULD PREVENT BAYTOWN FROM REACHING ITS FULL POTENTIAL?
Mayor Capetillo Council Member Graham
• State/Federal Legislation • Impatience/Mistrust
• Political Climate • The Pandemic
• Hurricanes
At 6:24 P.M., Council Member Heather Betancourth returned to the Work Session meeting.
With that concluding the focus group exercise, Ms. Domber shared their project's next steps:
• Synthesize all research and findings to develop a comprehensive Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis;
• Craft brand identity, develop brand promise, and key messages;
• Design messaging collateral;
• Craft marketing plan,budget, and timeline for implementation; and
• Partner and promote.
Ms. Domber lastly reiterated that the project was slated to be completed by August 31' and also
that the Public Affairs Department would keep Council up-to-date on the project.
2. ADJOURN
With there being no further business to discuss, Mayor Brandon Capetillo adjourned the April 13,
2023, City Council Regul s , ssion at 6:25 P.M.
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