Sep 22, 2022 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION

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THIS, UH, BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION

[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 5:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]

WE ARE IN BASE BAYTOWN CITY, CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AND WE HAVE A QUORUM.

WE HAVE ITEM ONE A IS TO

[a. Receive a presentation from the Public Affairs department and partner consultant team of the new Visit Baytown Three-Year Strategic Plan.]

MISS, UH, ANNA Y. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

UM, I'M ANNA YEL, THE TOURISM MANAGER OF THE TOURISM DIVISION IN THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.

A YEAR AGO, THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT IN TOURISM DIVISION, UH, ISSUED AN RFP FOR A TOURISM STRATEGIC AND ACTION PLAN AND VISITOR PROFILE STUDY.

WE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN USING RESEARCH FROM 2016 AND A DOCUMENT FROM 2017, UH, PRODUCED BY CIGNA STRATEGIES TO GUIDE OUR OPERATION AND AND DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS.

HOWEVER, WITH COVID-19, THE PANDEMIC, WE FOUND OURSELVES, UH, RESPONDING TO A VERY NEW TRAVEL CLIMATE RANGING FROM NO TRAVEL TO VERY TIMID TRAVEL, TO, UH, AN PENT UP TRAVEL ENERGY AND A SORT OF A BURST OF ENERGY.

HOW WE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT TRAVEL LOOKED DIFFERENT, HOW PEOPLE WERE TRAVELING AND WHO WAS TRAVELING WAS ALSO DIFFERENT.

SO IT WAS DEFINITELY TIME TO TAKE A LOOK, UM, AT OUR GOALS AND OUR OBJECTIVES, AS WELL AS THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY AND THE VISITOR ECONOMY HERE IN BAYTOWN.

AND AS IT RELATES TO BAYTOWN.

SO, WE ASKED FOR AN RFP, WHICH INCLUDES THREE DELIVERABLES, A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WOULD LOOK AT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE COMMUNITY AND AMONG STAKEHOLDERS, AND TO IDENTIFY THE STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS TO THE VISITOR ECONOMY IN BAYTOWN.

AND BASED ON THOSE FINDINGS, TO IDENTIFY STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES TO GUIDE US INTO THE FUTURE, AN ACTION PLAN, WHICH IS LIKE A ROADMAP OF HOW TO GET THERE.

AND THEN A NEW VISITOR ANALYSIS THAT WILL IDENTIFY WHO IS TRAVELING TO BAYTOWN, UM, AND TO HELP GUIDE US TO MAKE, UH, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS AND MARKETING DECISIONS.

SO AS A RESULT OF THAT RFP, I'VE HAD A GREAT PLEASURE TO WORK WITH A WONDERFUL TEAM OF CONSULTANTS THIS PAST YEAR, CHRIS KAVANAUGH FROM MAGELLAN STRATEGY GROUP, AND STEPHANIE PACE BROWN OF STRATEGIC MARKETING AND RESEARCH, MARKETING AND RESEARCH INSIGHTS.

THEY, ALONG WITH THEIR TEAMS, HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB FACILITATING CONVERSATIONS WITH MYSELF, MY TEAM AND STAKEHOLDERS.

THEY POSSESS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE, INSIGHTS, AND PERSPECTIVES THAT WERE USED TO ASSESS OUR TOURISM CLIMATE, UH, DEVELOP IMPERATIVES THAT WILL ASSIST US IN RAISING THE VISITOR ECONOMY HERE IN BAYTOWN.

SO I WANNA INTRODUCE CHRIS OF MAGELLAN, UH, STRATEGY GROUP.

SO CHRIS HAS BEEN IN THE CONSULTING FOR ABOUT 18 YEARS, BUT HE HAS BEEN AN EXPERT IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY FOR OVER 26 YEARS.

HE'S CURRENTLY THE PRESIDENT OF MAGELLAN STRATEGY GROUP AND HAS BEEN SINCE 2004.

HOWEVER, HIS DIVERSE RANGE OF EXPERIENCE INCLUDE, UH, SERVING AS VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING FOR THE BILTMORE COMPANY IN ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

THIS IS THE COMPANY THAT OWNS BILTMORE, UH, THE BILTMORE ESTATE.

UH, ONE OF THE MOST VISITED HISTORIC HOMES IN AMERICA.

CHRIS SERVED ON NORTH, UM, CAROLINA'S TRAVEL AND TOURISM BOARD FROM 2003 TO 2012, AND WAS CHAIR OF THE BOARD IN 2009.

HE IS ALSO PAST PRESIDENT AND CHAIR OF THE BUNCOMBE COUNTY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, WHICH OVERSEES THE WORK OF THE EXPLORE ASHEVILLE CVB, WHERE CHRIS ALSO SERVED AS INTERIM EXECUTIVE OF EXPLORE ASHEVILLE, UH, DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.

IN ADDITION, CHRIS IS A CO-FOUNDER OF THE DIY TOURISM MARKETING CONFERENCE, HELD ANNUALLY IN ASHEVILLE, AND HAS SERVED ON THE INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE OF THE CHARLOTTE BRANCH OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF RICHMOND SINCE 2013.

PLEASE WELCOME CHRIS, UH, TO COME GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS.

OKAY, THERE WE GO.

OKAY, HERE HE GOES.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.

UM, AS ANNA INDICATED, UH, WE LIVE AND WORK, UH, IN A TIME OF GREAT UNCERTAINTY AND HAVE FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, UH, CERTAINLY MORE SO, UH, IN MY CAREER THAN ANY OTHER TIME, UH, IN, IN, IN ANY OTHER TIME IN MY CAREER, AND FOR MANY OF US IN ANY TIME DURING OUR LIVES.

UM, WHAT I HAVE TRIED TO DO OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS WITH MY PARTNER, UH, IS TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN THAT, UH, STILL ALLOWS THREE YEAR PLAN THAT STILL ALLOWS A GREAT DEAL OF OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVISE, UM, AS MANAGEMENT GURU.

UM, UH, PETER DRUCKER

[00:05:01]

AND MY HOPE IS THAT CERTAINLY OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WE'RE NOT GONNA SEE ANYTHING LIKE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED AS A PLANET AND AS A NATION AND AS A COMMUNITY, UH, OVER THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS.

BUT THERE WILL BE UNKNOWN CHALLENGES AND UNKNOWN OPPORTUNITIES, UH, THAT WE'LL FACE AS WELL.

TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE WENT ABOUT DEVELOPING THE PLAN.

UM, THERE WERE ALREADY THREE COMPONENTS TO HELP INFORM THE PLAN.

AND I HAVE TO SAY, BY THE WAY, I REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH ANNA AND HER TEAM.

UH, THEY'VE DONE A MARVELOUS JOB, UH, WORKING WITH THE RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE, AND, UH, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE, UH, ENGAGING WITH THEM AND MANY OTHERS.

SO THE FIRST PART OF OUR RESEARCH, UH, WAS A VISITOR PROFILE RESEARCH.

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, UH, FOR BAYTOWN TOURISM, UH, WE USED MOBILE GEOLOCATION DATA, UH, WHICH BASICALLY TAKES THE DATA THAT ALL OF US, IF YOU USE LOCATION BASED APPS, ARE ALL SHARING ANONYMOUSLY, UH, TO BASICALLY UNDERSTAND WHO ARE THE PEOPLE COMING TO BAYTOWN AND UNDERSTANDING WHERE ARE THEY GOING AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING WHEN THEY'RE HERE, AND WHAT MARKETS THEY COME FROM.

UH, SECONDLY, UH, WE LOOKED AT HOTEL MARKET PERFORMANCE, UH, FOR BAYTOWN, UH, IN TERMS OF OCCUPANCY, AVERAGE DAILY RATE AND REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM, AND LOOKED AT SEVERAL COMPARABLE MARKETS, UH, WITHIN THE USE IN METROPOLITAN AREA AS WELL.

AND THEN LASTLY, UH, WE DID INTERVIEWS OR FOCUS GROUPS, UH, WITH MORE THAN 30 BAYTOWN, UH, TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS AND STAFF.

I BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THERE SHOULD BE SOME GUARDRAILS OR GUIDING PRINCIPLES AROUND ANY PLAN, UM, AND THAT REFLECT IN PARTICULAR THE STRENGTHS OF THE COMMUNITY.

UM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE ON SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T REFLECT WHO WE ARE.

WE WANT TO BE AUTHENTIC.

WE WANNA BE TRUE TO OUR CHARACTER.

WE WANNA BE INTENTIONAL.

WE WANNA THINK ABOUT HOW IT IS THAT WE ALLOCATE AND INVEST THE RESOURCES THAT WE DO HAVE.

I'M FOND OF SAYING THAT WE DON'T LACK FOR IDEAS.

WHAT WE LACK IS TIME AND MONEY.

AND SO WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS THE FOCUS TO DETERMINE HOW TO SPEND THE TIME AND MONEY THAT WE HAVE.

WE'RE GONNA BE REALISTIC ABOUT OUR AVAILABLE RESOURCES, UM, NOT PIE IN THE SKY.

WE'RE GONNA BE REALISTIC ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND AVAILABLE TO US NOW.

AND LASTLY, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT.

THE DESTINATION AND THE COMMUNITY ARE ONE AND THE SAME.

WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE DESTINATION IS GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY WILL MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AS WELL.

WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT LATER ON.

SO, LOTS OF DIFFERENT STRENGTHS FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A DESTINATION, BUT I WANNA FOCUS IN ON SEVERAL IN PARTICULAR, UH, YOUR LOCATION ALONG I 10.

UH, THAT'S A TREMENDOUS FROM A TOURISM, UH, RESOURCES PERSPECTIVE.

YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE WHO WILL STAY IN HOTELS HERE IN BAYTOWN THAT ARE VISITORS AND ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY, BUT AREN'T NECESSARILY, AREN'T NECESSARILY COMING HERE AS THEIR END DESTINATION.

THEY'RE GOING FROM POINT A TO POINT B AND STAYING OVERNIGHT HERE, BUT THEY'RE STILL VALUABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTRIBUTE TAX MONEY.

AND THOSE TAX DOLLARS CAN HELP FUND MANY OTHER INITIATIVES.

THE YEAR-ROUND, PETROCHEMICAL RELATED BUSINESS TRAVEL HELPS SMOOTH OUT SEASONALITY FOR HOTELS.

THAT'S IMPORTANT.

ALSO, UH, CREATES A, A SE BUSINESS RELATED TRAVEL.

CREATES DEMAND THAT, AGAIN, HELPS FILL HOTEL ROOMS, PUTS PEOPLE IN RESTAURANTS AND OTHER RETAIL BUSINESSES.

YOUR PROXIMITY TO HOUSTON, UH, ONE OF THE LARGEST METROPOLITAN AREAS IN IN THE COUNTRY.

WATER, AND WE'RE GONNA TALK A LOT ABOUT WATER IN THIS PLANT 'CAUSE WATER'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMUNITY, VERY PASSIONATE.

OUR COMMUNITY.

UH, WE'VE REALLY IMPRESSED BY THEIR PASSION, BUT ALSO WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THIS COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

THE POTENTIAL FOR TEXAS AVENUE AND THE DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT, THE HISTORY THAT'S HERE, AND THE ROOTS OF HISTORY, THAT THAT MANIFEST ITSELF, UH, MANIFEST ITSELF IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS.

UH, PIRATES BAY, WHICH WE, UH, IN THE RESEARCH THAT WE DID, UH, NOTED, IS A SIGNIFICANT DRIVER OF VISITATION, BOTH DAY TRIP VISITATION AND OVERNIGHT VISITATION TO THIS AREA.

UH, EVENTS, UH, YOU DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF STAGING, UH, EVENTS, WHICH DO DRAW VISITATION HERE.

UH, THE NEW HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER, UM, IS GONNA BE A TREMENDOUS ASSET FOR THE COMMUNITY AND SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS PART OF OUR PLAN AS WELL.

AND THEN LASTLY, YOUTH AND AMATEUR SPORTS, PARTICULARLY, UH, AROUND, UH, THE WAYNE GRACE SPORTS COMPLEX, UH, WHICH IS A TREMENDOUS ASSET AS WELL.

I REALLY WANNA REALLY FOCUS ON FOUR WEAKNESSES, WHICH ARE REALLY MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAN THEY ARE WEAKNESSES.

UH, FIRST OF ALL, SOME OF THE DESTINATION ASSETS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED ARE STILL INCOMPLETE, ARE STILL IN EVOLUTION, TEXAS AVENUE.

SOME OF THE WATER RELATED EXPERIENCES AND WATER RELATED ASSETS ARE STILL CONTINUING TO EVOLVE AND SOME OF YOUR HISTORIC ASSETS.

UM, TOURISM HERE HAS A RELATIVELY LOW PROFILE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAS RELATIVELY FEW ADVOCATES.

WE THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THAT.

NO, TOURISM'S NEVER GONNA BE THE NUMBER

[00:10:01]

THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE.

BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO THE TOURISM TENT, A LACK OF ONGOING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.

UM, HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE PRODUCTS THAT WE HAVE THAT HELP DRAW VISITORS HERE AND CONTINUE TO MAKE THEM COMPETITIVE? AND THEN LASTLY, YOU'RE MOSTLY KNOWN RATHER THAN BEING A LEISURE DESTINATION, YOU'RE MOSTLY KNOWN FOR BEING A HIGH, MOSTLY KNOWN BEING A PETROCHEMICAL DESTINATION, PETROCHEMICAL RELATED COMMUNITY.

THAT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE, BUT THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UH, MOTORISTS, UH, ON I 10 EVERY DAY THAT, AND PARTICULARLY IN THE EVENING, THAT SEE THESE GREAT FLAMING TOWERS, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY ASSOCIATE BAYTOWN WITH.

AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA CHANGE THAT.

THAT'S NOT THE OBJECTIVE, BUT WHAT OTHER IMAGES CAN WE SHAPE FOR BAYTOWN? SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED REALLY FOUR SEPARATE STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES.

FOUR THINGS AROUND FOUR AREAS AROUND WHICH OUR STRATEGIES REVOLVE.

ONE, MAKE BAYTOWN TOURISM MORE RELEVANT TO MORE PEOPLE.

TWO, OPTIMIZE THE INVESTMENT OF RESOURCES, THE RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO YOU AS A COMMUNITY FOR TOURISM.

THREE, LEVERAGE THE STRENGTHS THAT YOU HAVE AS A DESTINATION AND PURSUE ADDITIONAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.

AND FOURTH, INVEST IN THE DESTINATION BRAND.

I'LL DO A A BRIEF DIVE INTO EACH ONE OF THESE FOUR.

UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, BAYTOWN HAS SOME REALLY PASSIONATE ADVOCATES FOR TOURISM AND FOR PARTS OF THE TOURISM SECTOR, THE ARTS, SPORTS, PARKS, AND RECREATION.

WE WANNA FIND A WAY TO GROW THAT COMMUNITY, TO MAKE MORE PEOPLE CARE ABOUT TOURISM AND TO HAVE INTEREST IN IT AND BRING THEM INTO THE COMMUNITY, INTO INTO THE TOURISM COMMUNITY.

UM, I'M A BIG BELIEVER TOO, THAT SO MUCH OF TOURISM GOES TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS.

AND SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF TOURISM IN THIS COUNTRY, IN THIS STATE.

IN FACT, TEXAS, UH, TRAVEL TOURISM INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION ESTIMATES THAT 84% OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE BENEFIT FROM TOURISM QUALIFY AS SMALL BUSINESS.

AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AND SUSTAIN SMALL BUSINESS HERE IN BAYTOWN AS WELL.

UM, BUT YOU ALSO WILL CONTINUE TO HOST BUSINESS TRAVELERS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE CONNECTED TO YOUR PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES.

AND THERE ARE WAYS WE THINK OF ENCOURAGING THEM TO SPEND EVEN MORE TIME AND MORE MONEY IN BAYTOWN AS WELL.

SO OUR GOAL HERE FOR THE FIRST IMPERATIVE IS TO ELEVATE THE PERCEPTION OF BAYTOWN TOURISM IN THE COMMUNITY TO THE LEVEL OF OTHER, OTHER ECONOMIC, OTHER IMPORTANT FORMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND WE HAVE TWO STRATEGIES FOR ACCOMPLISHING THIS.

AND THERE WILL ALSO, THERE'S ALSO AN ACCOMPANYING LIST OF TACTICS THAT FALL UNDER OUR, UH, OUR, UH, ACTION PLAN.

TWO STRATEGIES ARE, ONE, LET'S CELEBRATE THE TOURISM SUCCESSES THAT WE HAVE.

AND A LOT OF COMMUNITIES, IT, IT'S CUSTOMED TO HOLD AN ANNUAL TOURISM CELEBRATION EVENT THAT CELEBRATES PIONEERS OF TOURISM, CELEBRATES BUSINESS OWNERS, AND ALSO CELEBRATES THE FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES, THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOSPITALITY HEROES WHO WORK AT THE FRONT DESK OF HOTELS, WHO CLEAN ROOMS, WHO ARE ENTREPRENEURS RUNNING RETAIL SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS.

SECONDLY, UH, OUR SECOND STRATEGY HERE IS TO BUILD A BIGGER TOURISM TENT.

AND THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, WE BELIEVE, TO HAVE A TOURISM ADVISORY COUNCIL, NOT AN, IT WOULD BE MORE TRUE ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT WOULD HELP ADVISE ANNA AND HER TEAM ON WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE.

WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD AFFECT HOW WE MARKET THE COMMUNITY? ARE THERE SALES OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEETINGS AND EVENTS? AND ARE, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT, ABOUT THE STATUS OF BAYTOWN TOURISM? OUR SECOND IMPERATIVE, AS MENTIONED, IS TO OPTIMIZE THE INVESTMENT OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US.

YOU'VE GOT GREAT FOUNDATIONAL DRIVERS OF OCCUPANCY HERE.

THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY HERE IS GOOD.

IT'S NOT GREAT, BUT IT'S GOOD.

BUT THOSE BUSINESS TRAVELERS, THOSE TRAVELERS ARE ON I 10 AND OTHER TYPES OF TRAVELERS.

PEOPLE VISITING FRIENDS AND RELATIVES WHO ARE STAYING IN HOTELS.

THOSE HELP PUT THOSE HEADS IN BEDS, HELP PAY FOR A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO GROW THE TOURISM ECONOMY.

THEY HELP PROVIDE THAT FUNDING.

UM, THERE WE DO DO BELIEVE, HOWEVER, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO OPTIMIZE RESOURCES FOR EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE USES.

UM, WE BELIEVE THAT THE BRUNSON IS AN UNDERUTILIZED ASSET, AND I DON'T MEAN THAT IN A NEGATIVE WAY.

IT MADE SENSE THE WAY IT WAS SET UP ORIGINALLY, THE WAY IT WAS DONE.

BUT WE THINK THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT THE BRUNSON AS AN ASSET AND HOW CAN IT DRIVE MORE PEDESTRIAN AND CUSTOMER TRAFFIC ALONG TEXAS AVENUE.

AND THEN LASTLY, AS I MENTIONED, PIRATE BAY IS A TREMENDOUS DRIVER OF VISITATION.

UH, IN FACT, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE STUDY THAT WE DID, UH, 38% OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIVE IN BAYTOWN, WHO GO TO PIRATES BAY COME FROM PLACES AS FAR AWAY AS, AS BEAUMONT OR PLACES LIKE LAKE CHARLES.

IT'S A TRUE DRIVER OF VISITATION TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO OUR GOAL HERE IS TO MAXIMIZE THE AVAILABLE, THE USE OF AVAILABLE FINANCIAL AND STAFF RESOURCES AS A MEAN, AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING ROI AND ATTRACTING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

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OUR STRATEGIES HERE ARE, ONE, MAKE BETTER USE OF CURRENT TOURISM STAFF RESOURCES.

ANNA AND HER TEAM DO A GREAT JOB.

UH, BUT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES HERE WITH OPENINGS AND VACANCIES ON HER TEAM TO LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE DO WE HIRE.

WE THINK IN PARTICULAR, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIRE A STORYTELLER, SOMEONE WHO'S SKILLED AT SOCIAL MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS, WHO CAN TELL THE MANY STORIES THAT BAYTOWN HAS AS A DESTINATION IN THE COMMUNITY, LEVERAGE THE STRONG POTENTIAL OF AMATEUR AND YOUTH SPORTS IN THE DESTINATION.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT AS WELL.

UH, EVEN THE CREATION OF SOMETHING LIKE A BAYTOWN SPORTS COMMISSION, WHICH WILL BRING TOGETHER THE PRIVATE SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES FROM LEE COLLEGE PARKS AND RECREATION AND TOURISM AND OTHER PARTS OF CITY GOVERNMENT ENGAGE IN PURPOSE-DRIVEN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.

WE WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE COLLABORATION THAT PARKS AND REC HAS WITH OTHER, WITH, WITH TOURISM, AND WE THINK THERE'S A WAY TO CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON THAT.

AND THEN LASTLY, FURTHER LEVERAGE THE POTENTIAL PIRATES BAY AS A MOTIVATOR OF VISITATION.

UH, ACTUALLY CONTINUE HERE.

UH, WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEW, UH, HYATT REGENCY HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER TO THE CITY TO INTEGRATE THAT INTO THE TOURISM PROGRAM.

YES, THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ROOM MARKETING AND SALES, BUT THERE WILL BE EVENTS THAT WILL COME TO THE CENTER THAT WILL ALSO FILL OTHER HOTEL ROOMS IN TOWN AS WELL.

UM, WEDDINGS AND FAMILY REUNIONS, WE SEE THAT AS BEING A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY THAT'S ALREADY OCCURRING HERE.

UH, BUT GIVEN THE AFFORDABILITY OF VENUES AND HOTEL ROOMS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE IN THAT MARKET.

PROVIDE TOOLS TO REGULARLY ASSESS THE ROI OF CURRENT INITIATIVES, AND ALSO TO LOOK AT THE ROI, UH, FOR FUTURE MAJOR NEW TOURISM INITIATIVES.

AND THEN LASTLY, WE'RE RECOMMENDING SOME CHANGES, UH, TO THE POLICY AND PROCESS AROUND THE HOT GRANT PROGRAM, UH, THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE.

OUR THIRD IMPERATIVE, UM, IS TO LEVERAGE OUR STRENGTHS AND PURSUE ADDITIONAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.

AND BY PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, WHAT I MEAN, THERE ARE, EVERY VISIT EXPERIENCES EVERYTHING FROM CAPITAL ASSETS TO NEW EVENTS.

AND WE FEEL THAT THE OPPORTUNITY HERE FALLS INTO TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

THOSE OP THOSE ASSETS THAT ARE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE.

BUT IN ORDER TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE, WILL NEED TO CONTINUE INVESTMENT OF, UM, AS AN EXAMPLE, THE YOUTH AND AMATEUR SPORTS IS AN INCREDIBLY COMPETITIVE FIELD.

LOTS OF COMMUNITIES SPENDING MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ATTRACT TOURNAMENTS AND OTHER EVENTS.

IF YOU HAVE A CHILD, UH, WHO HAS SPENT ANY TIME AND USE SOCCER AND USE SOFTBALL, BASEBALL, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS ARMS RACE WHEN IT COMES TO THESE COMPETITIVE FACILITIES.

AND THEN LASTLY, UH, AND THEN SECONDLY, THE ASSETS THAT ARE NOT YET FULLY REALIZED, UM, THAT WILL REQUIRE SOME ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT TO, FOR THEM TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

WE THINK THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS CREATION AS WELL, FOR TOURISM RELATED BUSINESSES.

UM, AND WE THINK TOO THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THESE ASSETS AS A MEANS OF HELPING ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER.

SO OUR IMPERATIVE HERE, OUR GOAL HERE IS TO CONTINUALLY INVEST IN BAY TOWN'S CURRENT AND POTENTIAL DESTINATION STRENGTHS AS A MEANS OF INCREASING VISITATION AND ECONOMIC, UH, IMPACT FROM TOURISM.

BUT THESE ALSO ENHANCE COMMUNITY QUALITY OF LIFE.

THESE ARE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

SPORTS FACILITIES, GREENWAYS WATERFRONT ASSETS ARE USED BY YOUR RESIDENTS JUST AS MUCH AS THEY WILL BE BY VISITORS AS WELL.

SO OUR STRATEGIES HERE, DEVELOP A MASTER PLAN FOR REGULAR CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND KEY DESTINATION ASSETS THAT WILL IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND, AND HELP BUILD VISITATION, UH, TO ESTABLISH SOME DIRECT REPORT SUPPORT, UH, FOR DESIRED SMALL TOURISM BUSINESS GROWTH.

IF YOU WANT TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO RENT BICYCLES OR KAYAKS FOR YOUR WATERWAYS, UH, YOU'VE GOTTA HELP STIMULATE THAT KIND OF GROWTH TO PROVIDE THOSE VISITOR SERVICES.

AND THEN WE'RE RECOMMENDING SEVERAL, UH, STRAT TACTICS, UH, FOR MEASURING AND ASSESSING THE IMPACT, UH, AND THE POTENTIAL, UH, ROI FOR THOSE DIFFERENT INVESTMENTS.

LASTLY, OUR LAST INVESTMENT, UH, IMPERATIVE HERE, INVEST IN THE DESTINATION BRAND.

A BRAND FOR A DESTINATION IS MORE THAN JUST A LOGO.

IT'S THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION THAT VISITORS AND RESIDENTS HAVE WITH A PLACE.

THAT PLACE CAN BE AN ATTRACTION AS BIG AS DISNEY.

IT CAN BE A CITY LIKE LAS VEGAS, WHICH IS KNOWN AS AN ADULT PLAYGROUND.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IN THE LATE NINETIES, LAS VEGAS TRIED TO POSITION ITSELF AS A FAMILY DESTINATION.

THAT DIDN'T WORK, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE THE LIFEBLOOD OF LAS VEGAS IS ESCAPE AND GAMBLING.

UM, AND WE'RE NOT SUGGESTING BY THE WAY THAT YOU BECOME THE LAS VEGAS OF GALVESTON BAY.

UM, WHAT WE'RE

[00:20:01]

WHAT DO YOU WANT VISITORS TO ASSOCIATE WITH YOU IN THE MARKETPLACE OF DESTINATIONS? SO OUR GOAL HERE IS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF BAYTOWN AS BOTH A DESTINATION AND A PLACE TO WORK AND LIVE.

THE INVESTMENTS THAT YOU MAKE IN TOURISM TO DRIVE VISITATION WILL ALSO PAY OFF IN TERMS OF GETTING PEOPLE TO RELOCATE HERE, TO BRING BUSINESSES HERE TO WILL HELP HELP PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THIS AS A PLACE TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR OR EVEN TO RETIRE TO.

AND SO THIS IS, AGAIN, PART OF THE COMPETITIVE PROFILE THAT TOURISM CAN ASSIST WITH.

WE HAVE ONE STRATEGY HERE AND A LOT OF TACTICS, WHICH IS OUR STRATEGY HERE, IS TO ESTABLISH A NEW BRAND FOR BAYTOWN TOURISM THAT CAPTURES THE CURRENT BENEFITS PROVIDED BY THE DESTINATION, AND YET IS ALSO ASPIRATIONAL.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN BE PROUD OF, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY KEEP REACHING FOR.

SO AGAIN, SUMMATION OF THE FOUR STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES.

AND THEN LASTLY, WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR BAYTOWN TOURISM? FIRST, MORE TRAVELERS CHOOSING BAYTOWN BECAUSE THEY WANT TO, NOT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO.

WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS MOST OF US WHO ARE ON BUSINESS HAVE TO GO SOMEPLACE.

WHAT WE WANT ARE MORE PEOPLE WHO ELECT TO COME HERE FOR OTHER REASONS THAN JUST BUSINESS, OR WHO WILL ELECT TO STAY HERE LONGER, TO COMBINE IT WITH A LEISURE TRIP TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS AND QUALITY OF VISIT FOR VISITORS.

WE CERTAINLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE HOTEL OCCUPANCY.

THOSE HEADS AND BEDS HELP PAY FOR MANY OF THESE INITIATIVES, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUT THOSE HEADS IN BEDS TO DO THAT.

THOSE ARE TAX DOLLARS THAT MEAN A LOT TO THIS COMMUNITY.

BAYTOWN RESIDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS PUTTING A, UH, HIGHER VALUE ON TOURISM AS A VIABLE FORM OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMUNITY.

IT'S ONE FORM.

IT'S NOT THE FORM, IT'S ONE FORM OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INCREASE IN CONSISTENT INVESTMENT IN NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND DESTINATION ENHANCEMENT BY THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.

AND THEN LASTLY, GREATER INTEGRATION OF TOURISM AND STRATEGIC DISCUSSION OF TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE CITY GOVERNMENT.

LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, HAVING REGULAR FORMAL DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN PARKS AND REC, UH, WHICH MANY PEOPLE COMPLIMENTED, UH, DURING, UH, OUR RESEARCH, UH, AND TOURISM OTHER ENTITIES SUCH AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

THERE WILL BE A FULL WRITTEN REPORT AVAILABLE, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.

AND, UH, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS NOW.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, SIR.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, MAY, I GUESS A QUICK QUESTION.

SO WHEN YOU SAY, HEY, YOU TOUCHED ON REVISE THE POLICIES AND PROCESSES THROUGH THE HOT GRANTS, SO WE HAVE DONE THAT RECENTLY.

YOU KNOW, THEY NO LONGER COME BEFORE COUNCIL.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY, WHICH IS A REVISION.

UH, WHAT, WHAT ARE, WHAT CHANGES DO YOU ANTICIPATE? SURE.

A COUPLE OF, A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING.

ONE IS HOW CAN WE MAKE IT EASIER FOR THOSE GRANTEES TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE WITH THEIR MARKETING DOLLARS? AND SO ONE THING MIGHT BE WE OFFER UP A PROGRAM OF COOPERATIVE MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, HOT RECIPIENTS, HOT GRANT RECIPIENTS, THAT MAKES IT EASIER FOR THEM TO INVEST DOLLARS.

YOU KNOW, MARKETING, THERE ARE MANY, MANY OPTIONS NOW FOR INVESTING MARKETING DOLLARS.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THOSE TAX DOLLARS BE EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE, UH, FOR THOSE GRANTEES AND FOR THEM, FOR THEIR EVENTS AND OTHER BUSINESSES TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS WELL? UM, ANOTHER EXAMPLE WOULD BE, UM, HOW DO WE MEASURE THE RETURN ON IN INVESTMENT THERE? AND WE'VE GOT SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW DO WE MEASURE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF THOSE TAX DOLLARS, UH, AND THE EVALUATION PROCESS THAT THAT GOES THROUGH AS WELL.

SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF IDEAS, NONE OF WHICH I WOULD CALL MAJOR, UH, BUT ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE BETTER USE OF THOSE DOLLARS.

I UNDERSTAND.

UH, JUST A FOLLOW UP COMMENT AND, AND THEN I'LL HAND IT TO COUNCILMAN JOHNSON, BUT IN, IN MY OPINION, REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO I, I, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY THERE'S A HUGE TIE IN TO THE HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER.

UH, TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE NOW IS REALLY THE IDEAL TIME TO STIMULATE TOURISM GROWTH AND SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH AND, AND DESTINATION SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH, ET CETERA.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS KIND OF A CHICKEN OR THE EGG, BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE THE HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE AN OPTIMAL TIME.

UM, IN THE PAST, AND, AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, O OVER A LONG STRETCH OF TIME, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU HEAR A LOT OF RHETORIC AND, AND, AND PLATITUDES A LOT OF TIME RELATED TO TOURISM.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I LIKE WHAT I HEARD ABOUT THE THOUGHT OUT PLAN AND THE STRATEGY AND IT BEING AN ASPIRATIONAL STRATEGY.

AND, AND, AND THIS DOES SEEM A LITTLE DIFFERENT, UM, THAN THAN YEARS PAST.

AND IT SEEMS, UH, I I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK HERE.

AND, AND I WAS, I'M IMPRESSED.

THANK YOU.

YOU KNOW, WITH REGARDS TO THE CONFERENCE CENTER, TWO THINGS I JUST WANNA MENTION REAL QUICK.

JUST PERSONALLY, THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT THE CONFERENCE, HOTEL, AND CONFERENCE CENTER, UH, ALONG, UH, GOOSE CREEK.

UH, YOU KNOW, GOOSE CREEK IS A TREMENDOUS ASSET, AND I THINK ABOUT COMING BACK HERE ONE DAY

[00:25:01]

SECONDLY, INCREASINGLY MEETING PLANNERS, PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA FILL THOSE ROOMS, UM, DEPEND UPON THE FEEDBACK FROM THEIR ATTENDEES.

IF THE ATTENDEES AREN'T HAPPY, MEETING PLANNERS AREN'T HAPPY AND THEY WON'T COME BACK.

AND SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO MAKE THE ATTENDEES HAPPY AND THEIR VISIT EXPERIENCE IS GONNA BE CRITICAL.

UH, YEAH.

HOTEL PRICE, ROOM RATE, SPACE AND SO FORTH ARE IMPORTANT, BUT ATTENDEE HAPPINESS AND SATISFACTION'S KEY, ABSOLUTELY.

VERY GOOD.

YES, SIR.

I SAW SOMETHING, I'VE, I'VE HEARD OF STAKEHOLDERS BEFORE, BUT I'VE NEVER CONSIDERED TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS.

WOULD YOU MIND SHARING WITH US WHO, WHO THOSE PEOPLE WERE? ABSOLUTELY.

UM, TOURISM IS ONE OF THE MORE UNIQUE INDUSTRIES IN THAT IT'S REALLY, IT'S MORE, IT'S MORE OF A SECTOR RATHER THAN AN INDUSTRY.

WE HAVE A HOTEL INDUSTRY THAT'S PART OF TOURISM.

THE ARTS IS PART OF TOURISM, UM, RESTAURANTS, RETAIL.

MM-HMM .

UM, NON-PROFITS MM-HMM .

TOGETHER, THE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT THOSE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS.

I CONSIDER TO BE TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS BECAUSE IN MANY CASES, THEIR SUCCESS DEPENDS UPON TOURISM SUCCESS AS WELL.

I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT BRINGS IN CITY OFFICIALS, CITY STAFF, UM, AND OTHERS, UH, WHO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN WANTING TO SEE TOURISM SUCCEED.

AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, ONE OF OUR STRATEGIES IS TO CREATE A BIGGER TOURISM TENT.

UM, TOURISM IS NOT JUST ABOUT HOTELS AND PUTTING HEADS IN BEDS.

IT'S ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY AND A WIDE RANGE OF DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS.

SO IT'S THOSE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT THOSE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT PARTS, DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES AND DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO I CONSIDER TO BE TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS.

SO WE, YOU ALL HAVEN'T HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS YET? WE'VE HAD, WE'VE DONE 30 INTERVIEWS AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.

UM, OKAY.

AND MANY OF EVERYONE FROM THE ARTS COMMUNITY TO HOTELIERS MM-HMM .

UM, TO PARKS AND REC, UH, AND OTHERS AS WELL.

NOW, WHAT ABOUT, AND YOU MENTIONED YOUTH SPORTS.

DID WE HAVE ANYONE INVOLVED WITH YOUTH SPORTS IN, UM, AS ONE OF THOSE 30 INVOLVED IN THAT CONVERSATION? JUST FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION SIDE.

OKAY.

COULD WE, I, I THINK IT'D BE A GOOD IDEA TO MAYBE REACH OUT TO BASEBALL, SOCCER, BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL DISC GOLF DISC GOLF, GOLF WITH A GOLF COURSE, ANYTHING HAVING TO DEAL WITH A BALL OR A SPORT.

UM, HAVING, DEALING WITH YOUTH SPORTS MOST OF MY LIFETIME WITH MY CHILDREN, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR SOMETHING HERE IN BAYTOWN THAT PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO BAYTOWN.

WE JUST DON'T HAVE ANYTHING HERE.

BUT IF WE COULD GET SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, MAYBE THAT MAY SPURSE SOME, UM, ACTIVITY.

AND, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WERE RECOMMENDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SPORTS COMMISSION, UH, THAT WOULD REP BRING DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SPORTS, UH, DIFFERENT SPORTS SPECIALTIES, UH, WHO CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T COMPETE FOR SUCH AND SUCH TOURNAMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A FACILITY THAT DOES THIS.

UM, AND YOU, YOU HAVE THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT SPORTS, AND TO YOUR POINT, IS THAT YOU HAVE EXPERTS IN THOSE AREAS WHO GO TO OTHER COMMUNITIES MM-HMM .

AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THOSE AREAS AND SAY, GOSH, WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HOST THIS DISC GOLF TOURNAMENT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE 27 HOLE COURSE, OR WE NEED SUCH AND SUCH FOR THIS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT.

WE NEED FOUR COURTS UNDER ONE ROOF, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE SUGGESTED SPORTS COMMISSION, BUT I'M HAPPY TO REACH OUT TO SOME OF THOSE FOLKS AS WELL.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTION, COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUESTION, MAYOR.

YES, MA'AM.

UM, HOW, AND, AND I DIDN'T CATCH THE FIRST PART, BUT I THINK I'M CAUGHT UP, , UM, IN YOUR, UM, I GUESS FEEDBACK THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN, HAS, UM, ANY TYPE OF TRACK AND FIELD BEEN MENTIONED, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT RICK AND I TALKED ABOUT HAVING LIKE, IF WE'RE GONNA DO A FOOTBALL OR WHATEVER, TO HAVE IT INCLUDE SOME SORT OF TRACK AND FIELD OPTION, UM, KIND OF LIKE THE FOOTBALL FIELD BEING MULTIPURPOSE.

UM, AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER TRACK AND FIELD IS, IS BLOWN UP AS DISC GOLF AND EVERYTHING ELSE, NOT SPECIFIC TO, TO TRACK AND FIELD.

WHAT I WOULD SAY THERE IS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO AN INVENTORY OF ASSETS AND DECIDE AGAIN, WHERE YOUR LIMITED DO INVESTMENT DOLLARS ARE GOING TO GO AND TO, TO EITHER TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AND TO HELP DRIVE, UH, VISITATION TO THE DESTINATION.

AND SO THERE'S REALLY TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT HERE.

ONE IS, IS TO GO BIG AND WE'RE GONNA COMPETE WITH THE MAJOR YOUTH SPORTS DESTINATIONS, UH, IN THE

[00:30:01]

THE OTHER OPTION IS TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE GONNA AIM FOR PLACES THAT ARE, AS I, AS I LIKE TO SAY, BETWEEN THE ELEPHANTS TWOS, UM, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO COMPETE FOR THINGS LIKE MORE REGIONAL OR LOCAL EVENTS, OR WE'RE GONNA BE DO REALLY GREAT AT HOSTING, UM, CORNHOLE TOURNAMENTS, OR WE'RE GONNA DO REALLY GREAT AT, AT HOSTING A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HORSESHOE TOURNAMENT.

THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.

ALL THESE, IN SOME CASES NICHE INTEREST, BUT STILL ATTRACT MAJOR, UH, AUDIENCES AND IN SOME CASES ARE BEING TELEVISED BECAUSE SO MANY SPORTS NETWORKS NEED CONTENT RIGHT NOW.

MM-HMM .

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF NOT, UH, I'LL MAKE A FEW.

UM, YOU, YOU HIT ON A FEW THINGS THAT HAS KIND OF BEEN IDEAS, UM, UH, AT LEAST FOR MYSELF, AND I THINK THERE'S EVEN SOME, BEEN SOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN IT COMES TO PARTICULARLY THE, LIKE THE, BASICALLY THE SPORTS INDUSTRY.

AND, UH, I KNOW I SPOKE WITH CITY MANAGER A FEW YEARS AGO, COMMUNITIES OUR SIZE THAT YOU'VE SEEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, IS IT FARFETCHED FOR THEM TO CREATE A, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE BAYTOWN SPORTS AUTHORITY OR SOMETHING SIMILAR SO THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO CAPTURE THOSE TOURNAMENTS IF YOU HAVE THE VENUE AND, UM, FIELDS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE? IS THAT, IS THAT FARFETCHED? NO, NOT AT ALL.

IT'S VERY, VERY DOABLE.

AND THE, THE IDEA AGAIN, IS TO BRING A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE IN WHO CAN HELP AUGMENT WHAT PARKS AND REC DOES, WHO CAN PROVIDE LOCAL EXPERTISE ABOUT DIFFERENT SPORTS AND WHO MAY BE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY OTHERWISE NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS EXPERTS.

UM, YOU MAY HAVE RETIRED PROFESSIONAL GOLF, UH, GOLFERS HERE OR SOME OTHER WHO CAN SERVE TO PROVIDE CONTACTS AND HELP BRING BOTH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE PUBLIC SECTOR, LEE COLLEGE, WHICH HAS FACILITIES UNDER THE SAME ROOF.

AND SO IT'S NOT FARFETCHED AT ALL.

OKAY.

AND THEN MY SECOND, I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF A QUESTION.

UH, ANOTHER IDEA WAS, WAS, UH, WITH THE NOW THE ADDITION OF THE HYATT REGENCY AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF RESTAURANTS IN, IN BAYTOWN.

WE HAVE A LOT OF HOTELS CREATING, UM, I GUESS IT MAINLY STAKEHOLDERS, BUT RESTAURANT, HOTEL AND ENTERTAINMENT TYPE TOURISM, UH, BOARD IN A SENSE BECAUSE THEY ALL, THEY'RE ALL STAKEHOLDERS.

I THINK THEY ALL, ALL BUILD UPON EACH OTHER'S SUCCESSES, RIGHT.

IN, IN THE INDUSTRY, THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE OR HOTEL INDUSTRY, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S, IS BETTER TO KEPT SEPARATE, BE BE KEPT SEPARATE THAN MAYBE THE SPORTS, UH, AUTHORITY, BUT SOMETHING I THINK THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE? THEY'RE ALL STAKEHOLDERS, BUT BASICALLY FORMALIZE THOSE TYPE OF DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN OBVIOUSLY OUR, OUR TOURISM FOLKS, WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW IT ALL KIND OF WORKS TOGETHER.

YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT I TALKED ABOUT WITH THAT PURPOSE DRIVEN, UH, PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION.

UH, I THINK HAVING A SPORTS COMMISSION, BUT ALSO HAVING AN ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT WOULD BRING THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES TOGETHER.

BUT YES, THEY SHOULD ABSOLUTELY WORK TOGETHER.

OKAY.

UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

I KNOW A WHILE BACK AND MAYBE SOMEBODY WITH SOME LONGEVITY, WE USED TO HAVE, I THINK IT WAS CALLED THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE OF CITIZENS, AND SO THEY HAD A DIFFERENT PURPOSE.

I THINK THEY ORIGINATED A LONG TIME AGO.

BUT, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO RECONSTITUTE ITSELF TO.

BUT, UH, ANYWAY, I DO APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.

I THINK WE, HOPEFULLY WE ALL HAVE SOME KIND OF TAKEAWAY FROM THIS.

SO WITH THAT, UH, BEING THAT BAYTOWN

[b. Discuss any or all of the agenda items on the City Council Regular Meeting Agenda for September 22, 2022, which is attached below.]

UH, YES, SIR.

MR. MAYOR AND COUNSEL, UM, I CAN DO A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE APPEAL, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ON THE REGULAR AGENDA, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT.

I WOULD SUGGEST WE JUST WAIT, WE HAVE SIX MINUTES.

THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, WE'RE JUST GONNA WAIT UNTIL IT'S TIME BECAUSE I HAVE SOME SCRIPT HERE I NEED TO READ TOO.

SO YES, MR. MR. YOUNG IS HERE AS WELL.

I GET IT.

IT'S, IT'S, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO A RECESS FOR SIX MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL GET GOING.

OKAY.

YEAH, SIR.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

WELL, BEING THAT WE'VE, UH, ADDRESSED ALL FOLKS AGENDA ITEMS, THIS, UH, WORK.

YEAH.

THIS, THIS WORK SESSION, THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL IS ADJOURNED AND WILL RECONVENE IN ABOUT SIX MINUTES.

YEAH.