CC Resolution No. 2456RESOLUTION NO. 2456
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN,
TEXAS, ADOPTING THE CITY OF BAYTOWN'S 5 -YEAR COMMUNITY-
BASED STRATEGIC PLAN; AND PROVIDING FOR THE EFFECTIVE
DATE THEREOF.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN,
TEXAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, hereby adopts the
City of Baytown's 5 -Year Community -Based Strategic Plan. A copy of the Plan is attached
hereto as Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein for all intents and purposes.
Section 2: This resolution shall take effect immediately from and after its passage by
the City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas. /10
INTRODUCED, READ and PASSED by the City Council of the City of Baytown this
the 26°i day of January, 2017.
DONCARLOS,
ATTE T:
LETICIA BRYSCH, City erk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
N4,o \ ��
"t C;
I NACIO RAMIREZ, ity Attorney
\\cobfs01\1ega1\Karen\Fi1es\City Council\Reso1utions\2017Vanuery 26\AdoplStmtegicMan.doc
Exhibit "A"
BWTC.OWN
COMMUNITY-BASED STRATEGIC PLAN
FORTH E CITY OF BAYTOWN
DECEMBER 2016
Table of Contents
Messagefrom the Mayor.............................................................................................................................3
MeetBaytown...........................................................................................................................................4
Baytown's Strategic Plan.............................................................................................................................5
PrimaryDirective.......................................................................................................................................7
StrategicDirective 1...................................................................................................................................9
StrategicDirective 2.................................................................................................................................10
StrategicDirective 3.................................................................................................................................11
StrategicDirective 4.................................................................................................................................12
StrategicDirective 5.................................................................................................................................13
TheStrategic Planning Process.................................................................................................................14
Implementationof the Plan.....................................................................................................................15
95
BAYTOW
S
Message from the Mayor
B.AYTOWN
S
I take great pleasure in presenting to you our city's 5 -year community-
based vision and strategic plan. Many hours have been invested in its
creation, most of which were offered by volunteer citizens with a desire to
contribute to the future of our community.
In looking to the creation of this plan, we were careful to set up a process
that would be driven by citizens, rather than elected officials or city staff.
I'd like to personally thank the members of our strategic planning advisory
committee. They gathered citizen surveys and planned meetings where
residents could share their thoughts on the future of our community and
where we need to focus our efforts as a city. Citizens from all areas of the
city collectively contributed thousands of hours to the creation of this
plan.
We have been truly overwhelmed by the response. The committee reviewed information from thousands of
written responses and evaluated feedback from hundreds of residents that participated in-person through
community dialogue sessions. Thank you to those that took this opportunity to share your thoughts!
I expect this plan to serve as a guide for city staff and elected officials over the coming years as we make
decisions about how to best allocate the resources entrusted to us by our citizens. It will guide us in
determining where to focus our efforts as a city and form the basis of our annual budgeting process.
We are committed to using the resources we have in ways that advance the priorities identified in the
document that follows. Imagine the future we can create if we unite our efforts in advancing those things
that our citizens have identified as most important! I look forward to joining with you in building that
future.
Mayor DonCarlos
Meet Baytown
Nestled within the largest bay on the coast of Texas, Baytown is a large and diverse city. Baytown was
settled in approximately 1822, and has played a significant part in historical events ever since, such as the Texas
Revolutionary War. Prominent Texas figures such as Ashbel Smith, David Burnet, and Sam Houston all owned
property within Baytown's borders, and even the ferry crossing between the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou, set
up by early -resident Nathaniel Lynch, is still in operation today.
In 1910, an unexpected oil boom promoted the rapid growth of Baytown, catapulting it into the spotlight of
success, and eventually helping to form Baytown's community into one centered on industry, including oil, rubber,
and chemical plants. Such business continues to thrive here with major corporations'investing billions just in the past
few years.
Today, Baytown maintains its important place nearby the largest city in Texas while retaining the neighborly
feeling of a small bayside town— a remarkable feat for such a wide -spread town. Resting along Interstate 10 and State
Highway 146 and roughly 30 miles outside of Houston, Baytown's entire west edge is bordered by the Gulf waters
feeding in from Trinity Bay, making its convenient and cozy location one of the best -kept secrets. The town square
with its outdoor ice rink, the Nature Center, Wetlands Center, and the Pirate's Bay Water Park all help to make
Baytown a more modern attraction to today's visitors. But by far, the main reason for Baytown's continued success is
its dedicated community. The people here care about the city's well-being and image, and want Baytown to be seen in
the way they see it— a fascinating place full of history, small and comfortable, friendly and accommodating—
but most of all, home.
el
B.AI TM
S
Baytown's Strategic Plan
The central purpose in this undertaking was to provide Baytown with a tool that can be used by elected officials and city staff to
guide goal setting and focus efforts on those things that residents have identified as their highest priorities. In order to truly be
effective, this plan needs to become part of how elected officials and city staff operate and think about programs and services.
Ultimately, it needs to be incorporated into how we measure success. No matter how comprehensive this plan is, the test of its
usefulness will be defined by how effective it is in guiding decisions and creating the future to which citizens aspire.
The Methodologies
The City Council commissioned a group of citizens to serve on the City's Strategic Planning Advisory Committee (SPAC). The
purpose of this committee was to gather data from the citizenry and synthesize that information into a set of recommended
strategic directives.
The methodologies utilized by the SPAC included the following:
• Stakeholder focus group meetings
• Citizen surveys
Business meetings
In all, the committee was able to gather almost 4,000 responses through a citizen survey and synthesize them into clear
priorities. Over 250 individuals participated in the various stakeholder meetings and community dialogue sessions. The advisory
committee conducted one dialogue session in each council district along with several other sessions with stakeholder groups in
the community. Participants in the process were also able to provide the SPAC with information related to key initiatives and
improvements they would like to see implemented.
Below are some quotes and a word cloud gathered from the citizen surveys:
95
BAYT )
z
"I love Baytown and it has
so much potential! I would
love to see it grow!"
"I can see the difference that has
been made, in appearance and in
the community, in just over the past
couple of years, and I love it! Keep
doing what you're doing!"
RaisedG.Aee College EdueatonLocation
Fishing Improving clean Parks Police
Houston Close to work Live
Dining Options Baytown Housing
Family Librarychopping Convenience
Small TownvanetyProximitya"5nessesMall
LOCKSchool
Explanation and Definition of Key Strategic Plan Elements
In the process of examining this strategic plan, the reader will encounter various terms and phrases associated with key elements
of the plan. It is important that we place an understanding of the strategic plan within the context of what these elements are
intended to contribute.
Primary Directive
This is a statement that clearly describes the city's rationale for existing. It is the product of what we in Baytown are
passionate about, where our competencies lie, and what we believe provides the means to realize our community vision. The
Primary Directive represents the highest level directive, serving as the hub of the plan to which all other strategic directives
are attached.
Strategic Directives
This plan contains five strategic directives. A strategic directive is a very high level priority that is articulated in a way that
effectively describes a community priority. Such is not intended to describe specific initiatives, ideas, programs, or services.
It merely captures in a very general way what citizens believe is most important in their community.
Strategic Initiative
Each strategic directive is accompanied by a number of strategic initiatives which assist in bringing the directive to the level
of application. In other words, strategic initiatives are more specific actions, programs, and ideas designed to bring about
the realization of the strategic directives. A directive is a destination and the initiatives represent the directions that will
enable us to arrive at our destination.
el
BAYTm
S
The Primary Directive of Baytown
The primary purpose of government is to provide the basis or foundation for civilized living. While this concept may appear
elementary and more than intuitive, much debate in recent years has swirled around the role of government. It is therefore
critical that, before presenting the community strategic direction, the City define its role in the lives of its citizens. We do this by
formulating and articulating the Primary Directive of Baytown.
This is the essence and reason sustaining the existence of the City of Baytown. It lies at the intersection of three things.
1) What city leaders and staff have a deep passion for — Why do we come to work
every day? What motivates us? Why do we care about what happens in Baytown?
2) What we believe the city can do well or even better than any other city — Are
we uniquely positioned to do something extraordinary? What are we equipped to
accomplish? This is a question of not only what we can do, but what we can do better
than others.
3) What drives the city's resource engine — What is it that needs to happen in order to
empower us to realize this primary directive?
In Baytown, our Primary Directive is
"Build upon Baytowds rich history, sense of community, and bayside location to
fuel economic vitality while creating the opportunity for all residents to enjoy an
exceptional quality of life."
What are we deeply passionate about?
In Baytown, we have a passion for elevating and sustaining quality -of -life. We understand completely the sacred trust that is ours;
to maximize our citizens' investment by supporting those programs, initiatives, and ideas that will translate into an opportunity
for them to live an exceptional quality of life. We believe that our passionate commitment to our community vision and values,
combined with careful planning and purposeful follow-through, will translate into every resident's opportunity for a better life.
el
BAYTO11
S
We believe that as we are able to lift our citizens' quality -of -life, we will have demonstrated our competency and trustworthiness.
Citizen trust, meanwhile, is generated at the intersection of competency and trustworthiness. As our citizens' trust increases, they
are more likely to continue to invest in the services that we provide. As they do so, we are empowered to continue lifting our level
of service, which results in greater trust, and so the process repeats itself. Public trust drives Baytown's resource engine.
All programs, initiatives, and energy must therefore be focused on achieving the Primary Directive. All metrics and outcomes
should support this Primary Directive. The strategic plan's role in fulfilling the Primary Directive begins by defining what citizens
believe is essential to quality of life. As a precursor to developing the strategic plan, the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee
was able to identify five factors that citizens believe define quality of life in Baytown. These are:
1. Community Reputation & Image
2. Infrastructure & Mobility
3. Community Amenities
4. Neighborhood Quality
5. Operational Excellence
What you are
What can we be the best in the world at?
/ deeply
Passionate I
With our coastal location and proximity to the fourth largest city in the
about"
country, Baytown is uniquely positioned to build a community with a vibrant
'
economy that enables a truly excellent quality of life for our residents. Industry
here is vibrant and growing and offers excellent employment opportunities.
what you " _- _ What drives
QQuite simply, there are few laces in the world with this kind of broad-based
P Y+ P
can be best your
in the
economic vitality.
world economic
at engine
What drives our economic, or in the public sector, our resource engine?
We believe that as we are able to lift our citizens' quality -of -life, we will have demonstrated our competency and trustworthiness.
Citizen trust, meanwhile, is generated at the intersection of competency and trustworthiness. As our citizens' trust increases, they
are more likely to continue to invest in the services that we provide. As they do so, we are empowered to continue lifting our level
of service, which results in greater trust, and so the process repeats itself. Public trust drives Baytown's resource engine.
All programs, initiatives, and energy must therefore be focused on achieving the Primary Directive. All metrics and outcomes
should support this Primary Directive. The strategic plan's role in fulfilling the Primary Directive begins by defining what citizens
believe is essential to quality of life. As a precursor to developing the strategic plan, the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee
was able to identify five factors that citizens believe define quality of life in Baytown. These are:
1. Community Reputation & Image
2. Infrastructure & Mobility
3. Community Amenities
4. Neighborhood Quality
5. Operational Excellence
Strategic Directive 1
Community Reputation & Image
"I want to be a part of a community where
I'm proud to tell people where I'm from. "
Due to the substantial investments made by big industry and because Baytown has played a central role in the Texas oil boom, our
community acquired a reputation as an industrial town with some of the negative connotations that flow from that image. We
are proud of the growth of industry in our city and want to do a better job of telling our story. This growth has created excellent,
high -paying jobs and provides a stable base of resources for city services. Baytown has a unique opportunity to provide beautiful
landscapes with its proximity to the coast. It is imperative that we hold ourselves to high standards of property maintenance and
implement land use planning and construction standards that are consistent with the appealing image we hope to reinforce.
Key Initiatives:
• Dedicated branding and public relations
campaign in partnership with GCCISD and Lee
College
• Review, update, and enforce city ordinances for
cleanliness and property upkeep
• Employ initiatives to clean up the city and remove
trash and junk
• Employ policies and initiatives to preserve and
maintain green space and open space where
appropriate and practicable
• Beautification of major commercial corridors
(burying electrical transmission lines, curb,
gutter, and sidewalk, etc.)
• Proactive code enforcement
What Does Success Look Like?
• Recruitment of higher -end retail establishments
improves
• More individuals that work in Baytown also live
here
• Improvements in brand and reputation observed
through annual citizen survey and surveys of
non-residents
• Decreasing crime rates
• Use of City resources to measurably reduce litter
Strategic Directive 2
Infrastructure & Mobility
"I want to live in a community where I can
get where I need to go by car or on foot in a
safe, efficient manner. "
91
With the growth experienced in our community and expectations for future growth, it is critical that we focus on core infrastructure
to support that growth. This will require long-range planning for major road projects as well as care exercised in how we plan
for and manage the growth that is coming. Roads and traffic mitigation are important, but so are pedestrian walkways as many
areas of the city do not have adequate sidewalks for pedestrian access.
Key Initiatives•
• Create and implement a traffic flow plan that
includes evaluation of traffic impacts in planning
for new land development
• Prioritize traffic reduction measures on major
roadways
• Develop and execute a plan for developing
sidewalks in areas where they are absent beginning
with major arterial roads and then moving to
collectors and neighborhoods
• Create and fund a 5 -year capital improvement
plan
What Does Success Look Like?
• Improving or stable drive times on major roadways
(Garth Road, N. Main, SH 146)
• Increases in pedestrian usage of sidewalks and
trails
• Increased percentage of signalized roadway
intersections in Baytown with pedestrian crossings
• Linear feet of new sidewalk constructed
• Pavement Condition Index score
Strategic Directive 3
Community Amenities
ve in a place where I can live,
cy without the need to leave the
To enhance the quality of life available to our residents, it is vital that we focus on cultivating opportunities to recreate and make
memories in Baytown. This comes with the added benefit of enhancing our reputation with visitors. It will also foster the special
sense of community that has developed in our city over many years. Creating attractions that allow our citizens to enjoy the city
they live in and that encourage others to visit Baytown will provide a solid foundation for economic growth and enhance the
image of our city.
Key Initiatives•
• Prioritize development and revitalization of older
commercial areas of Baytown
• Recruitment of higher -end dining establishments
and indoor family entertainment venues
• Facilitate the development of a convention center
• Create and execute waterfront development and
usage plan
e
BA TOtI
What Does Success Look Like?
• Development activity in the Arts, Culture
and Entertainment (ACE) District and the
Revitalization Incentive Zone
• Increasing sales tax base
• Development of new dining and entertainment
options throughout the city
• High close rate on EDF opportunities
Strategic Directive 4
Neighborhood Quality
"I want to live in a i
and feels like home. "
With the availability of open land and our close proximity to Houston and two major airports, we will see significant residential
development in the coming years. This offers an opportunity for us to prepare for that development in a way that establishes
a high standard of quality for our neighborhoods. This includes things like sidewalks, street widths, setbacks and construction
standards. For existing neighborhoods, it will include things like code enforcement.
Key Initiatives•
• Review planning, zoning and construction
standards to ensure adequate street widths,
setbacks, and other aesthetic elements that impact
the overall look and feel of our neighborhoods.
• Where practical to do so, develop sidewalks
in residential neighborhoods where they are
currently incomplete or absent.
• Focus on neighborhood beautification through
strict code enforcement in residential areas
• Prioritize revitalization of older residential areas
by leveraging neighborhood associations and
other community groups
• Positive police presence in "hot spot' crime areas
• Build partnerships with the County, the United
Way and other community groups to address
homelessness and mental illness
What Does Success Look Like?
• Increases in residential property values throughout
the city
• Clean, well -kept residential neighborhoods
• Aesthetically appealing new residential
development
• Increasing. levels of compliance with city codes
• Lower crime rates
• Reduced rates of homelessness
Strategic Directive 5
Operational Excellence
`7 want to have confidence that city staff
and elected officials are good stewards of the
resources entrusted to them and that everyone
at the City takes pride in the excellent service
they provide to the community. "
In order for this plan to be successfully implemented and our citizens' directives achieved, public trust in our City government
is critical. Building trust with the public should be centered around a culture where City employees treat all associates, citizens
and stakeholders with respect, appreciation and value. Trustworthiness should also be demonstrated by an organization that
competently and honestly manages citizen resources and strives for excellence through continuous improvement, personal
integrity in all situations, and organizational transparency.
el
Key Initiatives•
• Ensure interaction with the City is a positive
experience by continually monitoring and
improving services provided to residents and
other customers
What Does Success Look Like?
• Improvements in citizen survey scores for the
overall quality of city services
• Improvements in citizen survey scores for the
value residents receive for their tax dollars and fees
• Foster public trust through open communication Improvements in citizen survey scores for the
and reporting key performance data overall quality of customer service provided by
• Ensure long-term master plans are in place so that City employees
short-term goals don't impede the City's success . Improved turnaround times for permits and other
in the future interactions with the City
• Develop high performance work teams that are . Improved employee engagement scores
engaged, well trained, and empowered to provide
the highest levels of service
• Continuously improve by implementing
innovative practices and process improvement
efforts throughout the organization
The Strategic Planning Process
The Baytown City Council determined the need to bring focus to spending priorities. Key to this endeavor was the creation of
a community strategic plan. The Council determined that such an initiative, if it were to survive and become truly useful to the
community, would need to become a community initiative driven by citizens.
The Mayor and Council therefore commissioned a committee of citizen volunteers, known as the Strategic Planning Advisory
Committee (SPAC) to drive the strategic planning process. The strategic planning process began with SPAC meetings with
staff and discussions with City Council members in order to define expectations and council member understanding regarding
community priorities. These meetings also assisted the committee in identifying critical stakeholder groups that would need to
be engaged during the strategic planning process.
Stakeholder meetings were then held with business groups, service clubs, civic and charitable organizations, and a host of others.
Surveys were administered on the city website as well as distributed to city email groups, volunteers, and community event
attendees. The process of gathering stakeholder input spanned more than four months. At the end of this process, the SPAC
began to synthesize the thousands of pieces of information they had gathered from citizens into more specific focus areas, more
commonly referred to as "strategic directives." Ultimately, five strategic directives were produced. The committee, utilizing these
community priorities, then produced specific strategic initiatives associated with each focus area. The final plan was adopted by
the Council in January of 2017. It will stand as the planning blueprint for the city until 2020.
el
A T&N
S
Implementation of the Plan
Simply having a plan does not ensure its implementation. The city should take specific measures in order to implement this
strategic plan and measure progress toward its realization. Specifically, the city should:
• Utilize this plan as the basis for annual strategic planning and goal setting.
• Annually establish and review outcome measures associated with strategic plan directives. Make adjustments as necessary to
ensure close correlation between outcome measures and plan directives.
• Create a community scorecard for city and citizen use. This should be in a highly illustrative format, accessible electronically
via the city's website. The site should provide data associated with previously identified outcome measures. It is critical that
this information is kept as current as possible.
• Annually provide the City Council and departmental decision -makers with a city business plan, which ties Council goals to
strategic directives, identifying critical outcomes, measures, objectives, and expected budget impacts.
• Report semi-annually strategic plan implementation progress and impacts.
Special Thanks
The strategic planning process and composition is a broad-based community endeavor. Generally speaking, the broader the base
of community participation, the greater the survivability of the plan. In Baytown, this was certainly and fortunately the case.
Nevertheless, the city expresses its appreciation to specific individuals and groups that made this initiative possible. Special thanks
go to:
• The Strategic Planning Advisory Committee (Heather Betancourth, Gary Englert, Brennon Marsh, Bert Marshall, Tina
Martinez, Christy Ponce, Mark Stafford, Mike Wilson, and Lena Yepez).
• Dan Griffiths —Tanner LLC, public sector consulting, for the facilitation of the strategic planning process and the production
of the strategic plan.
• The Baytown Kiwanis Club, the Baytown Rotary Club, the Baytown Chamber of Commerce, the Pilot Club of Baytown,
GIFT, Baytown Non -Profits, and the City of Baytown Employees.
• The Citizens of Baytown, without whose participation this plan would not be possible.
ime., i 1
BW T, WN