[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2023 5:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]
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SO I NOW CALL THIS, UH, WORK SESSION.
THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL ORDER IS THURSDAY, APRIL 13TH.
IT IS 5:32 PM WE, WE HAVE A QUORUM.
[a. Receive a Presentation of the Baytown Image Research and Marketing Strategy.]
ON OUR WORK SESSION AGENDA, WHICH IS TO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION OF THE BAYTOWN IMAGE RESEARCH AND MARKETING STRATEGY, MR. REEFS.GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO BRING TO YOU THE BAYTOWN IMAGE RESEARCH AND MARKETING STRATEGY, UH, PROJECT.
AND WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE DCI IN TOWN TO DO A SERIES OF FOCUS GROUPS ON BEHALF OF THIS PROJECT.
AND WE ARE IN THE RESEARCH PHASE WHERE DCI IS HERE TO LEARN ALL IT CAN ABOUT BAYTOWN BAY TOWN'S IMAGE, BAY TOWN'S IDENTITY, WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT US INTERNALLY, WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT US EXTERNALLY.
WE'RE LEARNING ALL SORTS OF THINGS ABOUT THE CITY THROUGH LOTS OF SURVEY SURVEYS, LOTS OF INTERCEPTS, LOTS OF INTERVIEWS, AND THE FOCUS GROUPS WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW.
WE'RE LISTENING TO TARGETED GROUPS, UH, ON EDUCATION, HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
UH, WE'RE LEARNING FROM REALTORS TOMORROW MORNING AND OF COURSE THIS EVENING WITH THE, UH, COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HEAR FROM YOU.
WE WANT THIS TO BE INTERACTIVE, WHERE WE WANT YOU TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE CONSULTANTS AS THEY ASK QUESTIONS, AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THEM TO YOU NOW.
SO, DEVELOPMENT COUNSELORS INTERNATIONAL WAS HIRED AFTER A NATIONWIDE SEARCH TO PROVIDE THIS RESEARCH AND MARKETING STRATEGY FOR US.
AND AT THE END OF THIS PROJECT, THEY WILL HAND US A STRATEGY AND OUR MARCHING ORDERS SO THAT WE KNOW BEST HOW TO MARKET THE CITY OF BAYTOWN TO THE WORLD.
AND AS YOU KNOW, MY GOAL IS THAT EVERYONE IN THE WORLD HEARS ABOUT OR HEARS FROM THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA, UH, INCH TOWARD THAT TODAY AS YOU ENGAGE WITH DCI.
AND I'D LIKE TO BRING UP SARAH AND ROBIN TO YOU NOW.
THANKS THOMAS, AND THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR HAVING US HERE.
UM, WE THOUGHT WE'D START WITH JUST SOME QUICK INTRODUCTIONS, AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO THE FOCUS GROUP, LIKE WE SAID.
I AM VICE PRESIDENT OF CREATIVE SERVICES AT DEVELOPMENT COUNSELORS INTERNATIONAL.
I'LL LET MY COLLEAGUE INTRODUCE HERSELF.
I'M THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH AT DEVELOPMENT COUNSELORS INTERNATIONAL.
AND A QUICK WORD ABOUT DCI, WHICH I THINK YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH US, BUT IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL TO PAINT THE PICTURE OF WHY WE'RE HERE AND SORT OF WHAT WE DO.
WELL, WE EXCLUSIVELY MARKETPLACES.
SO WE WORK FOR CITIES, STATES, REGIONS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, UM, RANGING FROM COUNTRIES LIKE THE NETHERLANDS TO OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS LIKE ROUND ROCK OR GARLAND, UM, AND CITIES ACROSS THE NATION, OF COURSE.
AND OUR 63 YEARS OF BUSINESS, WE'VE WORKED WITH MORE THAN 500 PLACES.
UH, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 90 OF US SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND WE EXCLUSIVELY FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, AND TALENT ATTRACTION MARKETING.
AS THOMAS SAID, WE'LL BE DELIVERING ULTIMATELY A MARKETING STRATEGY AND A ROADMAP TO REALLY HELP YOU SHARE YOUR STORY WITH THE WORLD.
AND SO A QUICK LOOK AT SOME OF THE SERVICE AREAS THAT DCI DOES, IT RANGES FROM DIGITAL ADVERTISING TO WEBSITES TO RESEARCH OF COURSE, AND BRANDING, UM, REALLY RUNS THE GAMUT THERE.
OUR WHEELS ARE ALREADY TURNING AFTER HEARING SO MANY STORIES HERE TODAY.
UM, A QUICK LOOK AT OUR PROJECT, WHICH IS AN EIGHT MONTH PROJECT THAT WE STARTED IN JANUARY.
WE WILL DELIVER OUR FINAL PRODUCT AT THE END OF AUGUST.
UM, WE'RE IN THIS FIRST MARKET RESEARCH PHASE, AND WE REALLY CAN'T UNDER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE THAT RESEARCH PLAYS IN ALL OF OUR MARKETING.
SO WE ARE IN THE IMMERSION TOUR PROCESS.
THE FIRST BULLET ON THE LIST HERE.
UM, WE ARE CONDUCTING A AS MUCH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS WE CAN.
UM, WE ARE DOING THE FOCUS GROUPS THAT THOMAS MENTIONED.
WE HAVE DONE A SERIES OF ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH SOME REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS AS WELL TO REALLY GET BAYTOWN STORY.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, ROBIN WILL GIVE A FEW DETAILS ON AN INTERCEPT SURVEY THAT WE'VE CONDUCTED WHERE WE GOT 400 RESPONSES FROM BAYTON, UM, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
WE'RE ALSO SURVEYING FOLKS IN HOUSTON, IN THE HOUSTON METRO AREA TO GET THE PERCEPTIONS, UM, FROM THERE AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE CONDUCTED A PRETTY ROBUST EXISTING RESEARCH REVIEW.
THIS WILL ALL CULMINATE IN A SWOT ANALYSIS.
AND THEN THAT BRINGS US INTO PHASE TWO, WHICH WILL BE OUR BRAND IDENTITY AND MESSAGING COMPONENT.
SO WE'LL DEVELOP A SERIES OF KEY MESSAGES, REALLY GETTING TO THE MEAT AT WHAT IS BAY TOWN'S ELEVATOR SPEECH OR WHAT MAKES BAYTOWN BAYTOWN, AND WE'LL DEVELOP SOME MARKETING COLLATERAL TO GO ALONG WITH THAT AS WELL.
FINALLY, WE WILL CULMINATE THE PROJECT WITH A MARKETING BLUEPRINT, AS THOMAS JUST SAID THERE, THAT MARKETING STRATEGY, THE TIMELINE, THE BUDGET, OF COURSE, WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE METRICS FOR HOW YOU TRACK SUCCESS
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AS WELL, ROBIN.SO, UM, AS BOTH THOMAS AND SARAH ALLUDED, UM, WE ARE HEAVILY INTO THE RESEARCH PHASE, AND THIS INCLUDES BOTH QUALITATIVE, QUANTITATIVE, PRIMARY SECONDARY RESEARCH.
BUT ONE OF THE INTEGRAL PARTS OF THE RESEARCH WE'VE CONDUCTED SO FAR HAS ACTUALLY BEEN A COMMUNITY INTERCEPT SURVEY.
AND WHAT THIS ENTAILED WAS A TEAM ON THE GROUND IN BAYTOWN, UM, INTERVIEWING PEOPLE ONE-ON-ONE.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAD A VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL, UM, SEVERAL DAYS IN MARCH WHERE WE COLLECTED 400 RESPONSES OR CONNECTED WITH 400 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS.
AND, UM, THE, THE SLIDE SHOWS THE LIST OF ESTABLISHMENTS AND LOCATIONS WHERE WE CONDUCTED THESE INTERVIEWS.
AND THE KEY TAKEAWAY HERE IS THAT THE PLAN WILL ONLY BE SUCCESSFUL IF WE, UM, WE HAVE TO HEAR FROM EVERY SINGLE VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE TRIED TO MAKE THE LOCATIONS WHERE WE CONNECTED WITH RESIDENTS AS DIVERSE AS POSSIBLE IN AS MANY DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL, I THINK, IN REALLY MATCHING THE PROFILE OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY LOOKS LIKE.
SO HEARD FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT VOICES, A LOT OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT YOU HAVE A LOT OF AMBASSADORS FOR YOUR CITY.
UM, THE OVERWHELMING FEEDBACK AMONG RESIDENTS IS THEY ARE PROUD TO LIVE IN BAYTOWN.
THEY VIEW IT POSITIVELY, PARTICULARLY AS A PLACE TO WORK.
WHAT THEY'RE MISSING THOUGH, IS HOW DO THEY COMMUNICATE THOSE STRENGTHS TO OUTSIDE AUDIENCES.
THE PERSPECTIVE IS VERY DIFFERENT BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE RECEIVED FROM THE EXTERNAL SURVEY OF THE LARGER HOUSTON METRO REGION.
AND SO YOUR INTERNAL RESIDENTS, STAKEHOLDERS, CITIZENS, THEY WANNA BE AMBASSADORS, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE THOSE ASSETS.
SO THAT'S OUR JOB IS TO FORM THAT MESSAGING.
SO TONIGHT, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS REALLY, UM, INCLUDE YOU ALL IN THIS RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY PHASE.
WE WANT TO ASK YOU A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ASKED, UM, THE GROUPS THAT WE'VE SPOKEN TO TODAY AND THAT WE WILL SPEAK TO TOMORROW.
UM, I HOPE THIS CAN BE MORE OF AN INFORMAL CONVERSATION AND PEOPLE WILL JUST JUMP IN WITH THEIR RESPONSES.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE REAL KEY QUESTIONS, OVERARCHING THEMES THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET AT THROUGH THIS EXERCISE IS WHAT MAKES BAYTOWN BAYTOWN, AND I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT BROAD QUESTION, UM, OPEN, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT MAKES BAYTOWN UNIQUE, WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TEXAS COMMUNITIES? SO ANYONE WANNA START US OFF? I WILL.
UM, I THINK THE FACT THAT, UM, WE HAVE MAINTAINED A VERY DIVERSE DEMOGRAPHIC POPULATION FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS.
UM, I KNOW AT LEAST GOING BACK TO 60 TO 70 YEARS.
ALSO, BAYTOWN SEEMS TO FARE VERY WELL THROUGH, UM, THROUGH PROBLEMS WITH, UH, INFLATION, UM, JOB ISSUES, EVEN THROUGH THE PANDEMIC WHEN WE'RE COMPARED TO OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR TO US.
UM, WE SEEM BECAUSE OF OUR WORK, OUR WORK OPPORTUNITIES HERE, WE SEEM TO FARE PRETTY WELL WITH THAT AS FAR AS THERE BEING WORK AVAILABLE, UM, FROM, FROM WHETHER YOU'RE EDUCATED, UNEDUCATED, HAVE A SKILLED, DON'T HAVE A SKILL, THERE TENDS TO BE SOME, SOME WORK AVAILABLE.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK THAT MAKES US VERY UNIQUE IS THAT WE'RE VERY DEEP ROOTED, UM, ALL OVER TOWN.
WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN OR THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN, THERE'S A VERY DEEP ROOT SYSTEM OF TRADITION.
UM, A LOT OF FLAGSHIP LOCATIONS.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'VE ALWAYS FELT PERSONALLY THAT WE'RE VERY OPEN TO, UM, LETTING NEW IDEAS AND, AND NEW PEOPLE IN AS WELL.
VERY OPEN-MINDED COMMUNITY, IN MY OPINION.
I JUST FEEL OUR LOCATION REALLY MAKES US UNIQUE.
UM, WE'RE THE LAST CITY FROM HARRIS COUNTY TO THE EAST.
UM, THE, THE PORT HAS BEEN A MAJOR PLAYER, UM, THE INDUSTRY.
SO I JUST THINK REALLY THE LOCATION, UM, HAS BEEN REALLY GOOD.
I THINK WE'RE THAT LITTLE LOST CITY IN A BIG POND.
REALLY, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH AROUND.
AND AS PEOPLE COME IN, THEY NEVER KNEW THAT WE HAD SO MUCH.
UM, AND SO, UM, I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO SAY, I, YEAH, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I SEE EVERY TIME I GO TO BEAUMONT OR TO THE, BECAUSE NO, I WANT YOU TO STOP, UM, AND VISIT BAYTOWN.
SO I, I JUST THINK WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY ON BOTH SIDES.
ESPECIALLY WITH 99 NOW IN OUR CORNER, SO, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK ONE THING THAT MAKES US UNIQUE IS DEFINITELY OUR PEOPLE.
KIND OF PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT MY COLLEAGUES SAID.
UM, MY PARENTS MOVED HERE FROM NEW YORK BY WAY OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO AND GREAT BRITAIN, AND, UM, REALLY DIVERSITY OF CULTURES, EVERYBODY COMING HERE FOR ONE PURPOSE TO WORK.
BUT THROUGH THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF BONDS THAT WE'VE FORMED OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS WITH THE RESIDENTS HERE AND, AND OUR, AND, AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE HERE.
AND WE'VE LEARNED FROM EACH OTHER AND GROWN THAT WAY.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE, I'VE TRAVELED AROUND UNITED STATES AND THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE PEOPLE HERE IN BAYTOWN, TEXAS MM-HMM
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DOWN TO EARTH, YOU KNOW? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY LOVE LIFE AND THEY APPRECIATE EACH OTHER AND, AND, UH, REALLY GOOD SENSE OF, UH, COMMUNITY.SO WE'VE HEARD THE WORD COMMUNITY A LOT.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, I'LL SAY FOR ME, I'M A TRANSPLANT.
I'M NOT ORIGINALLY FROM BAYTOWN, NOT BORN AND RAISED IN BAYTOWN, BUT WORK IS WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE.
UH, I THINK AS YOU ALLUDED TO, YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITIES HERE, UM, IN THE WORKFORCE.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE.
UH, BUT I'LL SAY WHAT KEEPS ME HERE IS THE PEOPLE THAT THEY'VE, THAT THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, WHEN I ORIGINALLY MOVED TO THE AREA FOR WORK, I DID NOT LIVE IN BAYTOWN.
UM, BUT I CHOSE TO MOVE TO BAYTOWN, UM, TO GET PLUGGED IN WHERE I WAS WORKING, GOING TO CHURCH ALREADY.
UM, AND SO, AND, AND IT'S THAT THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP ME HERE MM-HMM
MAYOR, I'LL JUMP IN THERE AS WELL, LEMME TOGETHER A FEW MINUTES, BUT I'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT 25 YEARS OR SO.
I CAME DOWN FROM THE NORTH TEXAS AREA AND, AND, UH, I TELL PEOPLE WHEN I TRAVEL AND VISIT, AND THEY ASK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHY IS BAYTOWN SO UNIQUE? IT'S ONE OF THE MOST GIVING COMMUNITIES I'VE EVER LIVED IN.
IF THERE'S A NEED, PEOPLE COME OUT.
YOU LOOK AT OUR RELAY FOR LIFE, YOU LOOK AT OUR UNITED WAY PROGRAMS, WE'RE NOT AN OVERLY WEALTHY COMMUNITY, BUT THIS COMMUNITY STEPS UP WHEN IT'S NECESSARY.
MAJOR STORMS, HURRICANE ISSUES.
IT'S, IT'S AMAZING HOW FAST WE RESPOND AND RECOVER.
EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY UP HERE IS PRETTY MUCH CONSISTENT.
IT'S, IT'S OUR CITIZENS, IT'S OUR COMMUNITY.
WE, WE, WE STEP UP AS A COMMUNITY, AS A CITY AND JUST GET THINGS DONE.
'CAUSE YOU TRAVEL SOME, AND OTHER PLACES MAY LOOK PRETTIER AND BE NICER, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THAT SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS THAT, THAT WE DO.
YOU KNOW? SO THAT, THAT'S REALLY WHAT TO ME IS, MAKES US SO UNIQUE, IS JUST, WE'RE JUST A GIVING COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I'M NOT SURE YOU HAD ANY COMMENTS.
I WOULD, I MEAN, PRETTY MUCH I WOULD SAY THE COMMENTS THAT, THAT CERTAINLY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS EXPRESSED, PROBABLY FOR ME, THE, THE PAST YEAR I'VE BEEN, UM, HAVING A LOT MORE INTERACTION WITH OTHER MAYORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OTHER REGIONS, AND BEING INVOLVED, UM, REALLY TWO SIDES.
SO THE FIRST PART, CERTAINLY FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN BAYTOWN AND, AND WENT TO GOOSE CREEK SCHOOLS AND GRADUATED AND WENT TO LEE COLLEGE AND ALL THAT.
WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITY, WE'RE THERE, IF IT WAS THERE IN HURRICANE IKE OR HARVEY OR WHATEVER, COMMUNITY FOLKS GET TOGETHER, CHURCHES GET TOGETHER, INDUSTRY COMES AND, AND THEY, THEY REALLY GO AND LEND, LEND THE HAND.
AND WE REALLY, WE TRY TO GET BACK TO NORMALCY AS QUICKLY AS WE, AS WE CAN.
BUT WHAT IS UNIQUE, UM, WHAT I'VE CERTAINLY HAVE SEEN IS HOW GLOBAL OUR COMMUNITY ACTUALLY REALLY IS.
AND THIS IS WHERE, ALTHOUGH WE MAY WORK AT, UH, CHEVRON PHILLIPS OR EXXONMOBIL OR COVESTRO OR YOU SUPPORT SERVICES, UH, FOR THE PETROCHEMICAL, UH, NEIGHBORS, UM, WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY REACH THE WORLD, RIGHT? AND SO CERTAINLY LOGISTICS WITH THE PORT OF HOUSTON, I'VE BEEN ON ECONOMIC ALLIANCE TRIPS, UH, TO GO AND AND ADVOCATE FOR THE REGION, CERTAINLY FOR THE PORT REGION, MAINLY EAST HARRIS COUNTY.
AND WHAT I SEE IS JUST THE GLOBAL REACH THAT WE HAVE, WHAT WE, THE PRODUCTS THAT WE MAKE, THEY'RE, A LOT OF IT IS EXPORTED AROUND THE WORLD.
SO WE TOUCH SO MANY, MANY, UM, OTHER COUNTRIES, OTHER, OTHER COMMUNITIES, OTHER CITIES.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS REALLY UNIQUE ABOUT US IS, IS OUR ACCESS, OBVIOUSLY TO INTERMODAL TYPE TRANSPORTATION.
BUT FOLKS RIGHT HERE, THEY GO TO WORK, THEY WORK HARD.
THEY, THEY, THEY LOVE TO PLAY.
THEY, THEY GO, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A VERY FAITHFUL COMMUNITY.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE ALSO VERY GLOBAL CENTRIC.
AND I DON'T THINK A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS REALIZE HOW, WHAT THE, THE TRUE IMPACT OF, OF WHAT WE DO HERE AND HOW IT ACTUALLY REACHES ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD.
I JUST, HE REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING.
UM, BAYTOWN IS ONE OF THE FEW AREAS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE GROWN EXPONENTIALLY, WE DEFINITELY BIG CITY, BUT STILL SMALL TOWN FEEL MM-HMM
AND, UM, IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN UNLESS YOU LIVE HERE.
AND, AND I KNOW YOU SAID THAT THE EXTERNAL IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE INTERNAL AS FAR AS OPINIONS AND FEEDBACK YOU'RE GETTING.
AND I, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT.
'CAUSE I'VE SEEN THAT PRETTY MUCH MY WHOLE LIFE MOVING IN AND OUT.
BUT, UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S A PHENOMENON BECAUSE WE TEND TO STAY WITH THIS SMALL TOWN FEEL EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GLOBAL.
I'M JUST GONNA HIT ON THE GLOBAL THING A LITTLE MORE, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UNIQUE, I FIGURE YOU'RE GONNA GO INTO LIKE POSITIVES MM-HMM
BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF POSITIVES, BUT YOU ASKED UNIQUE, AND SO I'M LIKE, YOU CAN TALK POSITIVE TOO,
SORRY, I'M LIKE A REALLY PROCESS CENTRIC PERSON.
SO I'M TRYING TO STICK TO UNIQUE.
UM, SO FOR THE GLOBAL, UM, MAYOR REMINDED ME OF HOW IMPORTANT THAT UNIQUENESS IS.
SO I REMEMBER A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN WE WENT THROUGH A SIMILAR EXERCISE, THEY HAD ASKED THE
[00:15:01]
INDUSTRY IN THE AREA JUST ABOUT THE PRODUCTS THAT THEY MAKE AND LIKE WHERE THEY GO.AND THERE'S A PARTICULAR FACILITY THAT I WON'T NAME THAT MAKES, UH, A WAX THAT GOES IN ALL THE YANKEE CANDLES.
SO WHETHER YOU'RE BUYING A YANKEE CANDLE IN, YOU KNOW, NEW YORK CITY OR JAPAN, IT COMES FROM A FACILITY MANUFACTURED IN BAYTOWN.
AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT.
UM, THERE'S ANOTHER PRODUCT, YOU KNOW, AT THE FACILITY THAT IS, UM, THE BASE OF ALL THE FOLGER PLASTIC, FOLGER COFFEE CANS.
AND, YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE IN BAYTOWN DON'T REALIZE THAT THAT STARTS HERE, THAT'S PRODUCED HERE.
AND SO THE GLOBAL REACH AND GLOBAL IMPACT, I THINK IS REALLY UNDER COMMUNICATED.
THAT'S, UH, AND I WANNA BUILD ON THAT, THAT GLOBAL REACH AS WELL, BECAUSE, UM, WELL, THAT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE WE ALSO LEARNED OF SEVERAL OTHER PRODUCTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, JUST IN CASUAL PASSING, PEOPLE MENTIONED, OH, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S MADE IN BAYTOWN AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED.
BUT THE GLOBAL REACH AND SORT OF THAT, THAT GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A STORY AGAIN, THAT PERHAPS THE OUTSIDE OR EXTERNAL AUDIENCES AREN'T REALLY AWARE OF.
AND IT'S A GREAT STORY TO TELL ABOUT BAYTOWN, BUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER STORIES? WHAT ARE THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT BAYTOWN? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT, WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THOSE AUDIENCES TO HEAR ABOUT AND WHAT YOU WANT THAT TO CHANGE PERCEPTIONS OR TO LEVERAGE YOUR STRENGTHS.
BUT WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT STORIES THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD NEEDS TO HEAR ABOUT BAYTOWN? YES, MA'AM.
IS A HARD, THAT'S A HARD QUESTION.
I MEAN, LIKE, OH, SO IMPORTANT STORIES.
I WAS KIND OF GOING WITH WHAT YOU SAID, FOCUSING IN, UM, I AM A HU I CALL MYSELF A CHEERLEADER FOR THIS TOWN.
UM, THERE'S LOTS OF STORIES THAT, THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR EVERYONE TO HEAR, BUT I, I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TO OFFER PEOPLE.
AND MORE RECENTLY, PART OF THE STORY IS WE'RE TRYING TO INCORPORATE AND CHANGE HOW OUR CITY IS VIEWED MM-HMM
UM, I THINK SOME OF THE STORIES THAT WE NEED TO TAP INTO IS SOME OF OUR, HIS, SOME OF OUR HISTORY MM-HMM
UM, AND HOW WE'VE, WE HAVE A POSITIVE AND A NEGATIVE HISTORY, BUT EITHER WAY, WE'VE CONTINUED TO GROW AND CAPITALIZE AND MOVE FORWARD AS A COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'VE HAD FAMOUS PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME AND GONE OUT OF THIS TOWN.
UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO FOCUS ON SOME OF THE, THE WETLAND CENTER.
WE OFFER, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF REALLY FREE AMENITIES TO PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I JUST DUNNO IF THAT'S A STORY.
IT'S, I THINK, I THINK THE, PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT STORY FOR BAYTOWN IS WE'RE THE BIRTHPLACE OF EXXONMOBIL.
AND I THINK WE ALL TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED BECAUSE WE LIVE WITH IT, BUT IT IS THE LARGEST ENERGY COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES, MAYBE EVEN THE WORLD.
AND IT'S REALLY THE REASON BAYTOWN EXISTS.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STORIES, I THINK THAT STORY IS PRETTY CRITICAL.
SO I WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY AND, UM, PEOPLE WERE, WE WERE STANDING IN A LINE AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? AND I, I TYPICALLY, IF I'M SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY, I'LL SAY HOUSTON.
AND I SAID, WELL, I'M ACTUALLY BAYTOWN ABOUT 30 MINUTES EAST OF HOUSTON.
AND THEY WERE LIKE, BAYTOWN, I SAID, THE LARGEST EXXON MOBIL REFINERY IN THE US.
AND I SAID, I THINK IN THE WORLD.
AND, UM, AND INSTANTLY THEY WENT, OH, OH, OH, I KNEW SOMEONE THAT WORKED THERE OR WENT THERE, OR WHATEVER.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT THAT THAT'S THE STORY.
AND MAYBE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE A LOT LONGER OR HAVE COME HERE FOR WORK SPECIFICALLY, KNOW THAT STORY.
BUT IF WE'RE GETTING, UM, WHICH WE ARE A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE TO OUR AREA, THAT'S DEFINITELY A STORY WE NEED TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT AND MAKING PEOPLE AWARE OF.
I, I HAD AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH A, A GENTLEMAN OF MINE THAT HE, I MET HIM, HE'S ARAN WAS A TRANSPARENT FROM OKLAHOMA.
UH, HE MOVED BACK TO OKLAHOMA IN ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA.
AND, UM, HE TOLD A STORY OF A MAN, I, I FORGOT THE GUY'S NAME, BUT HE HAD TIES TO HUMBLE OIL, AND HE BASICALLY STARTED, UH, ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA.
LIKE AR OKLAHOMA EXISTS BECAUSE OF THIS GUY, THIS WHO, WHO, UM, WHO, UM, STARTED OUT WITH HUMBLE OIL AND, AND, AND ROSS STERLING, YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS, THEY FORMED A HOSPITAL IN ARDMORE AND MM-HMM
ARDMORE, THAT TOWN TODAY IS EXISTS BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN BAYTOWN, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO, YOU KNOW, STORIES LIKE THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
AND I GET THE INFORMATION FOR YOU IF YOU LIKE.
HE TAKES IT TO, HE EMAILED IT TO ME, BUT I CAN OPEN EMAIL.
SO HE RECENTLY SHARED THAT WITH ME LAST WEEK.
IT'S FUNNY YOU BRING THAT UP, BUT YES, IT'S STORIES LIKE THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT INTERCONNECTIVITY TO OTHER AREAS, UM, THAT REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING AS WELL.
HE GOES, GO TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONNECTED TO HOLLYWOOD.
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MM-HMMYOU HAVE EVER SEEN THE MOVIE HELLFIGHTERS? UH MM-HMM
A GOOD PORTION OF THAT WAS FILMED HERE IN BAYTOWN.
THE FIRST ROBOCOP WAS TEXAS COP, SAME WAY.
VERY BUSEY WENT TO JUNIOR HERE.
JENNIFER GARDNER, WHO KNEW, WHO KNEW CELEBRITIES.
JENNIFER GARDNER'S GRANDMOTHER STILL LIVES IN OLD BAYTOWN.
SHE GOES TO, UH, EL TORO WHEN SHE'S IN TOWN.
YOU MENTIONED THERE WERE A FEW CELEBRITIES.
SO ANYONE ELSE THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD, ALRIGHT.
THE LONG TIME RESIDENTS CAN CORRECT ME, ISN'T IT? RENEE W****R.
JENNIFER GARNER, RENEE ZELLWEGER, JOHN WAYNE, GARY SOME TIME HERE.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL OTHERS THAT JUST DON'T, IT DOESN'T COME TO MIND.
I THINK SPORTS, CELEBRITIES TOO.
BOB HOSKINS WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO GET US TO BUILD A SPORTS MUSEUM BASED ON, UM, THOSE THAT GO CELEBRITIES THAT CAME FROM BAYTOWN.
HE HAD ROCKY BERNARD, HE WENT TO STERLING.
HE PLAYED, HE WON THE SUPER BOWL, UH, I BELIEVE WITH THE, WITH THE SEAHAWKS.
EVEN LOCAL, REGIONAL, LIKE BOB LANIER, WHO WAS THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON MM-HMM
UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER REGIONAL OR NATIONAL.
WE GOT, WE GOT AN OFFICE COORDINATOR RIGHT NOW FOR THE EAGLES.
BAYTOWN, BRI FROM MR. BRI FROM BRITAIN, CRAVENS.
I MEAN, NOT ONLY DID HE OWN A HUGE PART OF THE OLD STATE STREETS, BUT HE ALSO OWNED A BIG PART OF LAPORTE.
DIDN'T HE RUN CATTLE OR SOMETHING ACROSS THE WATER? YEAH, HE, SO HE USED THE FERRIES.
UM, SO I'M GUILTY OF THIS WITH MY OWN TOWN, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I'M JUST SO CLOSE TO SOMETHING THAT I CAN'T, I, YOU KNOW, I FORGET ABOUT SOME OF THE REAL ASSETS AND I FORGET ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE REALLY APPEALING TO PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THE AREA.
WHAT ARE SORT OF THE BEST KEPT SECRETS, OR WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT, YOU MIGHT NOT IMMEDIATELY THINK OF AS SOMETHING THAT WOULD APPEAL TO PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THE, THE CITY, BUT ARE ACT WOULD ACTUALLY BE A BIG DRAW FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN AND, AND SEE OR DO OR, UM, EXPERIENCE? WELL, JUST SO IT KIND OF CONNECTS TO YOUR NEXT QUESTION MM-HMM
BUT KIND OF GOING BACK TO THE LAST ONE.
ONE STORY YOU COULD TELL WAS BROWNWOOD, WHAT HAPPENED WITH BROWNWOOD.
AND WHAT IT IS NOW A NATURE CENTER, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO A NATURE CENTER IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE COME SEE, BUT IT HAS A HISTORY.
IT USED TO BE A NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND THEY GOT DESTROY DURING THE HURRICANE, ALICIA MM-HMM
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT HISTORY OF BROWNWOOD AND, AND HOW WHAT IT IS NOW TODAY WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING INTERESTING.
WELL, JUST THE THREE COMMUNITIES COMING TOGETHER THOUGH AS WELL.
BAYTOWN WAS THREE COMMUNITIES BEFORE.
SO, BUT I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND, AND YOU KIND OF ALLUDED TO IT AS WELL, THAT, UM, YES, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MARKET OUTSIDE, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE THAT DON'T KNOW THIS INFORMATION.
SO I, I ALSO WANNA KEEP THAT IN MIND, THAT ABSOLUTELY WE'RE MARKETING TO THE WORLD, BUT BAYTOWN IS PART OF THAT WORLD.
SO, UM, WHETHER IT'S THE TRANSPLANTS WHO JUST GOT HERE, THEY JUST CAME TO WORK, UM, OR SOMEONE WHO'S LIVED HERE FOREVER BUT HAS STAYED IN THEIR OWN LITTLE WORLD.
UM, THERE'S STILL A LOT THAT WE DON'T KNOW.
I, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ASSETS HERE, 'CAUSE I'VE, I'VE HAD TO LIVE OUT OF THE STATE BEFORE IS OUR HEALTHCARE MM-HMM
WHETHER, UM, LATELY THE, THE, THE HEALTHCARE HAS GROWN A LOT JUST RIGHT HERE, INNER CITY OF BAYTOWN MM-HMM
BUT OUR ACCESS TO MD ANDERSON, UM, THE BURN CENTER IN GALVESTON, UTMB, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT EVEN NOW, RIGHT HERE IN BAYTOWN, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON METHODIST.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE FEEDBACK YOU'RE GONNA GET THERE, JUST FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY INTERNALLY, PEOPLE TEND TO TALK NEGATIVELY, BUT EXTERNALLY, IF YOU LIVE IN ANAAC, YOU WANNA COME TO HOUSTON METHODIST, YOU KNOW MM-HMM
SO FOR ME, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ASSETS IS JUST IF I NEED HEALTHCARE, IT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, AND WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB IN RECENT HISTORY WITH GETTING TRANSPORTATION, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO THAT WITH OUR, OUR BUS SYSTEM AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I WOULD LIKE THAT TO, TO REALLY BE SPOKEN OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
UM, 'CAUSE HEALTHCARE IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK PROXIMITY TO HOUSTON, YOU'LL EITHER SEE IT AS A PRO OR A CON DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK.
I'M GONNA PUT IT IN THE PRO COLUMN BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE CLOSE ENOUGH TO HOUSTON TO STILL ENJOY ALL THE AMENITIES AND THE COST OF LIVING IS A FRACTION OF LIVING IN HOUSTON.
AND SO TO ME THAT THAT'S A PRO.
ANY PARTICULAR STRENGTHS THAT, THAT YOU WANT TO CALL OUT REGARDING CORPORATE INVESTMENT? UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD HELP ATTRACT NEW OR DIFFERENT BUSINESSES TO THE, TO THE CITY? TAX ABATEMENTS? I MEAN, UM, LAND, AVAILABLE LAND MM-HMM
I MEAN, THERE'S, YEAH, I WOULD THINK SO MUCH
[00:25:01]
THAT I WOULD AGREE.I, I THINK, UM, I WOULDN'T CALL IT UNIQUE, BUT THE, THE ABILITY TO OFFICE OFFER INCENTIVES IF IT'S TAX ABATEMENTS OR STILL TAX, UH, SUB SOME TYPE OF, UM, CHAPTER, YOU KNOW, TO, TO GO AND PROVIDE THAT, TO HELP WITH THE BOTTOM LINE.
UM, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH A LOT OF THAT RECENTLY.
BUT WHEN YOU MENTIONED LAND THAT IN PARTICULAR IS, IS, IS, UM, KEY MM-HMM
IS, IS HAVING THE ABILITY, THE ABILITY TO GROW AND HAVE GREEN SPACE, AND SO RESPECT GREEN SPACE WITHIN OUR CITY.
BUT WE'RE GROWING CITY AND, AND SO, SO HOW, HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT? BUT I COULD TELL YOU LAND AND, AND THE ETJ SIZE THAT WE HAVE IS NOT THE NORM FOR A LOT OF COMMUNITIES.
SO WE HAVE, UM, SOME OF THE EAST SIDE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR, UH, GENERALLY VERY SIMILAR TO US, UH, YOU KNOW, PET LARGE, UH, TAX BASE WITH PETROCHEM AND, AND A WORKFORCE THAT'S EMPLOYED AND SO ON.
BUT SOME OF 'EM ARE LANDLOCKED.
I'M NOT NAME THEM, BUT SOME OF 'EM, WE KNOW IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY'RE LANDLOCKED.
THEY DO NOT HAVE THE GROWTH POTENTIAL.
WE STILL HAVE WATERFRONT POTENTIAL.
WE HAVE, UM, THE POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, LOGISTICALLY TO GROW.
AND SO THAT, THAT MAKES US, IT'S A HUGE STRENGTH.
UM, IN FACT AS WE JUST ADVOCATED FOR TWO WEEKS AGO.
UH, IN DC SO WHEN COMPANIES ARE PROSPECTING CITIES OR AREAS, IT'S NOT ONLY, UM, ECONOMIC INCENTIVES AND LAND, IT'S ALSO ACCESS TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO DEPENDING ON THE INDUSTRY, IT CAN BE ACCESS TO WATERWAYS, RAILS, ROAD.
AND THEN THE BIG ONE IS A SKILLED WORKFORCE.
SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN EDUCATED AND SKILLED WORKFORCE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE AUTOMATICALLY GONNA DING THAT AREA BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO BRING IT IN.
I, I WOULD SAY THAT'S VERY TRUE.
UM, WHEN I TRAVELED RECENTLY TO DC, UH, WE BROUGHT SOME STUDENTS FROM SAN JACINTO COLLEGE MM-HMM.
AND THEY WERE ADVOCATES ALSO FOR, FOR JUST A WORKFORCE AND HAVING THAT ABILITY TO GO AND GAIN SKILLS, UM, UH, IF IT'S PETROCHEMICAL BASE OR, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT HAVING SKILLED WORKERS AND A LOT OF, WE, WE SUFFER AND THE REGION SUFFERS FROM HAVING A SKILLED WORKFORCE MM-HMM
AND SO THEY JUST, WITH, WITH THE GROWTH, UM, WE, THEY JUST CAN'T GET THE JOBS FILLED WITH, UM MM-HMM
I'M, I THINK THEY CALL 'EM METAL SKILLS.
THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T ENGINEERS, THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT CAN ACTUALLY TOUCH AND DO THINGS ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT HAVE, UH, A SKILL.
AND SO WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE LEE COLLEGE, UH, AS A COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN OUR CITY, UM, TO GO AND HELP, HELP, UH, KIND OF MEET THAT NEED MM-HMM
AND SO AS THEY, AS WE GROW AND THE NEED GROWS, CERTAINLY COLLEGE AND THEM GROW.
AND SO, UM, WE ADVOCATE FOR THEM TOO.
I WOULD SAY EVEN THE ISD, BECAUSE THEY'VE GROWN THEIR, UM, THEIR BASE ON, UM, TRADE, UH, TRADE SCHOOLS MM-HMM
AND SO I THINK WITH STEWART CAREER AND NOW THE MARINE TIME, UM, I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A HUGE PLAYER MM-HMM
IN TERMS OF SKILLED WORKFORCE.
THE, UM, THE THING THAT EVERYTHING Y'ALL ARE SAYING IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE AS FAR AS ATTRACTING CORPORATIONS.
I THINK ONE MORE THING TO ADD TO THAT IS THE FACT THAT LEE COLLEGE, THE CORPORATIONS, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE ISDS RECENTLY, EVERYONE IS, THERE'S ALL THESE BRIDGES BEING BUILT AND THEY'RE HYPOTHETICALLY NOT REALLY
AND SO THAT SHOULD ATTRACT BUSINESS AND CORPORATIONS TO COME HERE BECAUSE YOU CAN VISUALLY SEE HOW ALL THE BIG PLAYERS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE WORKING VERY HARD TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS A PLACE TO ATTRACT MORE BUSINESS.
THE SYNERGY BETWEEN THE TWO THREE IS REALLY COOL.
UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM EACH ENTITY THAT'S BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT RECENTLY GOING IN AND, AND CORPORATIONS NEED TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO COME IN.
IS THERE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE YOU COULD GIVE THAT
WE DO A CAREER, BUT EX EXXON ACTUALLY UTILIZES, UH, LEE COLLEGE A LOT, AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY INVESTED IN PROGRAMS AT LEE COLLEGE.
SO NOT ONLY, UH, POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES GET TRAINED, BUT EXISTING EMPLOYEES.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS AS AN EXISTING EMPLOYEE.
I, I'LL GIVE YOU A VERY SPECIFIC LEE HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT HERE, WHICH IS PART OF GOOSE CREEK HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST, MOST EXPENSIVE INSTRUMENTATION LABS IN IT.
WE OFFER THAT FROM 14 YEARS OLD TO 18 YEARS OLD.
THEY CAN LEAVE THERE, THEY CAN GO TO LEE COLLEGE, THEY CAN GET EITHER A CERTIFICATE OR THEY CAN GET AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE.
UM, THERE ARE MANY, MANY INDUSTRY BASED, UM, CORPORATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE.
THEY TAP INTO THE ISD MM-HMM
AND SO WE'RE GROWING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM VERY YOUNG AGES TO BE AVAILABLE TO BE PART OF THAT SKILLED WORKFORCE.
ISN'T THERE A NURSING PROGRAM? YES, WE HAVE NURSING PROGRAM AS WELL FOR THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY.
SO THERE'S, THERE, THERE, THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC THINGS GOING ON WITH THAT.
[00:30:02]
OKAY, GREAT.SO, UM, IT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TWO MUST HAVES FOR LOCATIONALLY ACTIVE COMPANIES IS WORKFORCE AND LAND.
UM, AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU CAN ALSO COMPETE VERY WELL ON THE LAND PERSPECTIVE.
SO THAT'S A, A BIG CHECK MARK FOR YOU ALL.
AND FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU CAN ALSO COMPETE ON THE QUANTITY AS WELL AS QUALITY OF TALENT, UM, COMPARED TO OTHER LOCATIONS.
IS THAT A SAFE ASSUMPTION? YES.
I, I, I'LL SPEAK FROM A, A REGION, ALMOST A STATEWIDE TYPE, UM, PERSPECTIVE THAT I, I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS THAT MAY HAPPEN NOT IN BAYTOWN, BUT WITHIN THE REGION.
AND WE STILL CAN BENEFIT BECAUSE SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED HERE, SOME OF THE, THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE BASED HERE, THEY, THEY HELP SUPPORT THAT.
UM, PARTICULARLY THE STATE OF TEXAS, SAMSUNG COME INTO THE AUSTIN AREA, UM, FOR THE COMPANY I WORK FOR, I MEAN, WE ARE, IT'S KEEPING ME BUSY IN A SENSE WHERE, UH, SOME OF OUR FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE, THEY'RE HAVE, THEY'RE HAVING AN UPGRADE AND, AND BE, AND BASICALLY GET COMMISSIONED AT A HIGHER LEVEL TO PRODUCE, UM, PRODUCTS THAT WILL MEET THE SAMSUNG NEED, LET'S SAY.
BUT ONE REASON WHY SAMSUNG WENT TO, TO AUSTIN WAS A SKILLED WORKFORCE.
SO WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT SEMICONDUCTOR WORK AND THAT TYPE OF MANUFACTURING, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SKILLED WORKFORCE.
WE WOULD NOT FARE SO WELL, OBVIOUSLY MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO MEDICAL, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL, UM, I GUESS YOU'D SAY, UH, CLINICS AND SO ON, YOU HAVE TO HAVE MEDICALLY, YOU KNOW, UM, TRAINED INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT WITH LEE COLLEGE AND OTHERS THAT WE HAVE THAT.
AND SO THE SKILLED WORKFORCE IS, IS IS REALLY KEY.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T BRING A COMPANY HERE AND THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO WORKERS THAT CAN ACTUALLY SAFELY RUN A FACILITY.
SO I'M GONNA THROW ONE MORE OUT THERE.
IT IS MINOR COMPARED TO THE OTHER ONES WE'VE MENTIONED, BUT POLITICAL CLIMATE.
SO COMPANIES DO GAUGE WHETHER THE COMMUNITY OR THE ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THAT AREA ARE SUPPORTIVE OF BUSINESS GROWTH AND ECONOMIC INCENTIVES.
SO I CAN TELL YOU FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, SOME AREAS GET OVERLOOKED BECAUSE THE POLITICAL CLIMATE FOR THAT AREA IS NOT SUPPORTIVE OF INDUSTRY GROWTH.
AND SO THEY GO TO AREAS WHERE THEY ARE.
DOES THERE SEEM, UM, IS THERE AN INTEREST IN FURTHER DIVERSIFICATION OF THE ECONOMY? AND IF SO, WHAT TYPES OF INDUSTRIES WOULD DO WELL IN THE CITY? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE TOURISM GEARED TOWARDS OUR WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT MM-HMM
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE WANTED FOR A LONG TIME.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, RECREATION, RECREATION, RECREATION, UM, I'D LIKE TO LOOK OUT AND SEE SOME KAYAKING GOING ON IN GOOSE CREEK AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.
I MEAN, I KNOW THIS GOES BACK MORE THAN 10 YEARS.
I MEAN, WE'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT ECOTOURISM IN BAYTOWN MM-HMM
AND WE HAVE THE NATURE CENTER.
AND, AND I MEAN, ALMOST YOU CAN ALMOST LIVE ANYWHERE IN BAYTOWN.
YOU CAN SEE SOME REALLY NEAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS IN THE AIR, THINGS IN YOUR BACKYARD.
AND SO ECOTOURISM IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE'VE PROBABLY TAKEN IT FOR GRANTED.
I MEAN, WE, WE'VE TRIED TO DO, WE, WE TRIED TO DO THE BEST WE CAN SO FAR, BUT IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING WE CAN ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHT A LOT.
MORE, I, I THINK I WAS TOLD THAT PRINCE CHARLES CAME TO THE NATURE CENTER.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WAS TRUE, BUT SOME VERY HIGH PROFILE PEOPLE HAVE COME, HAVE CAME TO THE NATURE CENTER.
BUT, BUT YEAH, SOME FOLKS LIKE THAT, I'M, I'M GONNA SAY, AND THEY'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE, WE ARE PRIME FOR SPORTS TOURISM.
UH, THERE IS A MASSIVE GAP IN SPORTS TOURISM, UH, EAST OF HOUSTON.
AND THIS IS COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS A TEENAGER IN CLUB SPORTS MM-HMM
AND SO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THESE PARENTS PAY AND TRAVEL AND, UH, IT IS NEVER ANYTHING ON THE EAST SIDE OF HOUSTON.
IT IS ALWAYS WEST, NORTH DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UM, THERE'S A REALLY BIG MARKET GAP.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE THE SPACE AND AMENITIES AND ABILITY MM-HMM
SO I'M GONNA SAY SPORTS TOURISM.
ANY PARTICULAR SPORTS OR JUST, UH, NO, ALL, ALL, ALL ALL.
BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL.
I'LL PIGGYBACK ON THAT ALL IF I MAY.
UM, WHAT I WILL SAY IS I THINK THERE'S A HUGE NEED IN MARKET FOR MULTI-SPORT AND CERTAINLY A MULTI-SPORT VENUE.
UM, I THINK WHAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO, AND THIS COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO DO IS ARE WE READY? IF WE, IF THAT IS SOMETHING WE, I THINK I KNOW THAT IT'S THERE.
I'M, THAT IS DEF A DEFINITE, BUT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE, WE ARE READY FOR MM-HMM
AND SO I'M HOPING THAT THIS COUNCIL IS TO GO AND, AND, AND, AND HAVE SOME DECISIONS TO CONSIDER MM-HMM
TO GO AND REALLY TAKE SOME BOLD MOVES AND BOLD STEPS.
WELL, I THINK THOSE TYPES OF, UH, MOVES NOT ONLY, UM, HIGHLIGHTS THE CITY AND, YOU KNOW, BUT IT ALSO BRINGS JOBS TO THE CITY JUST AS WE ADVOCATED FOR OUR HOTEL TO HIRE WITHIN
[00:35:01]
AS MUCH AS THEY CAN.SO IT'S, IT'S NOT ONLY BRINGING THE SPORT, BUT BRINGING THE JOBS.
AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, I'VE ALWAYS CHAMPIONED FOR.
AND EVEN WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, I'M LIKE, WE NEED TO DIVERSIFY OUR BUSINESSES.
AND I'M JUST GLAD THAT, UM, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, THAT OTHER, UH, COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A DIVERSIFICATION AND THEY HAD GOALS IN MIND AS WELL FOR THAT.
SO I WASN'T ALONE, UM, IN THINKING THAT.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE'VE BEEN PRETTY PROGRESSIVE ABOUT THAT.
WELL, I THINK THE TERM IN TOURISM IN GENERAL, AND MOST PEOPLE, AS YOU SAY, I MEAN, THIS IS WHY WE'RE TALKING, MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT THINK OF BAYTOWN AS A TOURISM DESTINATION.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABOUT TO OPEN UP A HYATT REGENCY.
I WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT WHEN I WALKED THROUGH IT LAST WEEK, I WOULD SAY, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS BUILDING IN BAYTOWN.
AND I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE, AND SO THAT'S JUST WHERE WE'RE GOING.
AND SO, UM, I THINK WE HAVE HUGE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, IT WILL, IT WILL TAKE SOME, SOME HEAVY CONSIDERATION.
BUT WE, WE, I THINK WE JUST LIKE, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL LEAKAGE ON FURNITURE AND OTHER COMMERCIAL ENTITIES.
AND, AND THE EAST SIDE OF HOUSTON IN MANY ASPECTS, UM, IS ALMOST DEPRIVED OF, OF THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
AND WE COULD REALLY COMPETE NOT JUST REGIONALLY, BUT NATIONALLY, UM, IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT VENUE MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, TOURISM'S A BROAD WORD, AND PEOPLE GET STUCK THINKING LIKE, OH, TOURISM MEANS DISNEYLAND.
OR NEW YORK CITY AND THAT, AND THAT'S NOT US.
WE DON'T NEED TO TRY TO PRETEND OR EVEN STRIVE TO DO THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I DO GO, YOU KNOW, TO ROUND ROCK FOR A THREE DAY VOLLEYBALL TO TOURNAMENT, I'M A TOURIST.
I MAY BE AT THAT STADIUM FOR THREE DAYS, BUT I'M STILL A TOURIST, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE HOTEL, I DON'T SEE IT, YOU KNOW, ATTRACTING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FROM FLORIDA WANTING TO COME TO BAYTOWN, BUT THERE'S CORPORATE TOURISM.
I MEAN, THAT'S A THING THAT EXISTS MM-HMM
AND I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA BE UTILIZED.
SO, I MEAN, EDUCATING PEOPLE AND JUST BROADENING THE TOURISM TERM, I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
UM, SO GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IT WILL EVOLVE THAT BAYTOWN IS TARGETING ADDITIONAL VISITORS AND, YOU KNOW, SPREADING THAT MESSAGE.
BUT WHO ARE THE OTHER MOST IMPORTANT AUDIENCES THAT NEED TO HEAR BAY TOWN'S MESSAGE? IS IT NEW RESIDENTS? IS IT, UM, EXISTING RESIDENTS? IS IT COMPANIES? IS IT, YOU KNOW, IS IT VISITORS? YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD YOU PRIORITIZE THOSE, THOSE AUDIENCES IN TERMS OF, UM, WHO NEEDS TO HEAR THE MESSAGE FIRST AND FOREMOST? UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M AMAZED SOMETIMES THERE'S SOME PEOPLE, A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY, THEY DO NOT GET IN TUNE WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR, IN THEIR COMMUNITY UNTIL SOMETHING NEGATIVELY HAPPENS TO THEM.
THEN THEY GET INVOLVED, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND THEN I WILL SAY, I'LL, I'LL HAND IT TO OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOLKS.
THEY DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN BY ANY MEANS TO COMMUNICATE INFORMATION.
I MEAN, THEY POST, IT'S, IF, IF YOU'RE NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, FINE.
I MEAN, WE SEND THINGS IN WATER BUILDING.
WE, WE DO EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO TRY TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR, TO OUR CITY, OUR COMMUNITY.
WE PUT OUT TWO MAGAZINES A YEAR NOW.
I MEAN, SO EVERYONE GETS THAT.
EVERYONE IN OUR CITY GETS THAT.
AND IT HAS AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN.
WE EVEN PUT A BUDGET BREAKDOWN ON THE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET AND, AND HOW IS, HOW IS, HOW IS IT, YOU KNOW, FRAMEWORK AND WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN AND WHAT DOES IT REALLY LOOK LIKE? SO THAT'S AN INTERNAL AUDIENCE.
BUT, AND, AND SO WE HAVE TO GO AND TRY TO EVEN DO MORE REACH.
AND I DON'T KNOW THE MEANS THAT'S WHY WE'RE HIRING YOU, BUT WHAT IS THAT MESSAGING AND WHO IS THAT AUDIENCE? I DON'T, I DON'T PARTICULARLY KNOW.
BUT WE HAVE IT, I WOULD SAY IN-HOUSE WITHIN THE CITY, WE HAVE A MESSAGE THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE OUTWARD MESSAGE.
BUT BOTH HAVE TO BE COMPLIMENTARY OF EACH OTHER STILL.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BIGGEST MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT BAYTOWN THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED? PRIMARILY? I, IT COULD BE INTERNAL, BUT PRIMARILY EXTERNAL.
HOW DO PEOPLE PERCEIVE THE CITY IN THE BROADER HOUSTON REGION? AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE MESSAGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, THAT IT'S DIRTY? YEAH.
IT, THERE'S A, A NICKNAME, UM, IN SOME OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION, THE DIRTY BAY.
UM, AND WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN TO EDUCATE FROM LITTLE ALL THE WAY UP.
THAT MOST OF THE REASON THE WATER'S BROWN HAS TO DO WITH SEDIMENT AND ROCK, BUT MM-HMM
IT'S GOT THE DIRTY BAY FOR MANY REASONS, WHETHER IT'S THE WATER OR, UM, A FOCUS ON INDUSTRY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WE'VE GOT TO FIND THAT HAPPY MEDIUM, THAT MIX WHERE WE CAN SHOW OFF OUR WATERFRONT, SHOW OFF OUR JOB OPPORTUNITIES, UM, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE, UM, THE INTERNAL MESSAGE, THE POSITIVE, AND I DON'T KNOW.
[00:40:01]
YOU'RE SAYING, BECAUSE, UM, I THINK WE ALL, FOR EACH OF THE COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE TO SEE THEM AS WORKING PARTS OF THE WHOLE MM-HMMUM, AND NOT JUST SEEING THE CITY AS BEING DIRTY, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, CALLING IT DIRTY BAY, BUT E EACH OF THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, EACH OF THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS BRINGS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO THE TABLE TO MAKE IT THAT WHOLE.
BUT I, I THINK THE INTERNAL, UM, I THINK WE'RE ALL VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT EACH OTHER'S DISTRICTS AND WHERE WE LIVE AND WE'RE GONNA DEFEND IT.
AND, UM, TO HAVE, WHEN WE START DOING RENOVATION PROJECTS, I THINK TO ME, WHAT KIND OF FRUSTRATES ME IS THAT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING TO IMPROVE.
AND THEN I HEAR MESSAGES, WHY ARE YOU PUTTING MONEY IN THAT DISTRICT? THEY'RE JUST GONNA TEAR IT APART.
COME PUT IT IN THIS OTHER DISTRICT.
AND SO, I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO GET AWAY FROM, BECAUSE EACH ONE OF US MAKES THAT WHOLE, AND WE CAN'T MAKE THE CITY A POSITIVE CITY WITHOUT ENSURING THAT EACH OF THE DISTRICTS YEAH.
NOBODY THAT VISITS US SAYS, WELL, WHAT DISTRICT AM I IN? I MEAN, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT.
YOU, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT Y'ALL ALSO WORKED WITH CITY OF GARLAND OR TEXAS FROM THAT AREA.
GARLAND WAS ALWAYS REFERRED TO AS A LOW INCOME, LOW CLASS, BLUE COLLAR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S NOT, IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE TO BE.
PEOPLE IN OTHER AREAS LOOK AT US, OH, YOU'RE A SMALL CITY, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY AMENITIES.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE POOR HOUSING STOCK.
AND IT'S LIKE, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE A NICE MEDIUM SIZED COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE FACILITIES AND ASSETS, WE HAVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
WE PROBABLY HAVE ONE OF THE BEST PARKS DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE.
SO YOU TALK ABOUT RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE COMING, OR BUSINESSES COMING.
AND WE HAVE PIRATES BAY, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A CRICKET FIELD.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HEARD THAT.
WE HAVE CRICKET FIELDS AND THIS KIND OF PEOPLE GO CRICKET.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PICKLEBALL.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA POTENTIALLY BE BUILDING, UH, YOU KNOW, A QUALITY COMPETITION LEVEL, DISC GOLF COURSE MM-HMM
AND, AND EVERYBODY GOES IN BAYTOWN YEAH.
UH, SO IT IS THE SAME MENTALITY OF THE NORTH TEXAS AREA WHEN, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT GARLAND OR USED TO TALK ABOUT GARLAND MM-HMM
WE'RE THE SAME ISSUE HERE IN THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY THAT OH, BAYTOWN.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN.
IT APPEARS THAT, THAT WHEN I WORKED, THAT WE'RE EQUAL DISTANT ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN TO DOWNTOWN AS WE ARE TO THE EAST SIDE.
AND I COULD BE DOWNTOWN 20 MINUTES BEFORE THEY COULD DO THERE IF WE LEFT AT THE SAME TIME.
SO, TRAFFIC ISSUES, EVEN THOUGH WE COMPLAIN ABOUT TRAFFIC ALL THE TIME, OR OUR CONSTITUENTS DO, IT'S REALLY NOT THAT BAD.
UH, AND WE HAVE EXCELLENT ACCESS TO, TO MAJOR ROADWAYS AND, AND THE WATERWAYS.
IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE HITTING GEM AND, AND IT'S TIME TO TURN THE LIGHTS ON.
I'D LOVE TO CHALLENGE THE PERCEPTION OF BLUE COLLAR JOB MM-HMM
BECAUSE, UH, WHAT THE BLUE COLLAR JOB OF THE EIGHTIES WAS, IS NOT WHAT IT IS TODAY.
THOSE INDUSTRIAL JOBS, THEY ONLY REQUIRE A TWO YEAR EDUCATION AND THEY PAY SIX FIGURE SALARIES.
I KNOW 21 YEAR OLDS OUT THERE WHO MAKE SIX FIGURE SALARIES MM-HMM
AND, UM, THEY'RE NOT OUTSIDE SWEATING IN THE HEAT TURNING WRENCHES.
THEY ARE INSIDE WORKING WITH COMPUTERS ON HIGH TECH MACHINERY.
AND THEY'RE HIGHLY SKILLED TECHNICAL PEOPLE.
SO, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO CHALLENGE THIS IDEA OF WHAT A BLUE COLLAR JOB IS WHEN IT COMES TO BAYTOWN.
YOU'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS YOU'VE SAID TODAY.
WE HAVE ABOUT 15 MINUTES LEFT, SO OKAY.
UM, AND THAT'S INTERESTING 'CAUSE WE HEARD SOME IN ONE OF THE GROUPS TODAY THAT THEY FEEL LIKE BAYTOWN HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST CONCENTRATIONS OF BLUE COLLAR MILLIONAIRES.
SO I FEEL LIKE THAT TIES INTO, PEOPLE AREN'T, YOU KNOW, FLASHY ABOUT IT, BUT MM-HMM.
THEY'RE JUST DOING THEIR JOB AND THEY ARE BLENDING INTO THE FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY.
IS THAT, IS THAT A GOOD, YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT, I MEAN, I DON'T, YOU, YOU CAN VERIFY, BUT I THINK THEY SAID THERE'S MORE MILLION MILLIONAIRES AT ONE POINT, THAT THERE WAS MORE MILLIONAIRES PER CAPITA IN BAYTOWN THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE, IN THE US.
THEY JUST DON'T LOOK LIKE YOUR RODEO DAY DRIVE TYPE.
THEY'RE, THEY BIKE BOATS INSTEAD OF PURSES.
AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THOSE BOATS IN HURRICANE SEASON
UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS AGREEMENT THOUGH, THAT THERE'S ROOM FOR BAYTOWN TO EVOLVE.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ROOM FOR EVOLUTION AND TO GROW AND CONTINUE TO DEVELOP.
BUT WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT NEED TO BE
[00:45:01]
PRESERVED? YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO MAIN, YOU KNOW, KEEP IN THE FABRIC OF BAY TOWN'S COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THAT'S NOT LOST AS YOU DO GROW AND DEVELOP? I, I, I'LL THROW SOMETHING OUT THERE.I THINK, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN PAST DISCUSSIONS IN OTHER DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD THROUGHOUT THE YEARS IS, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE WOULD NORMALLY SHUN, OH, OIL AND GAS, YOU KNOW, RUN AWAY FROM IT.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO GO AND, AND SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE, IT'S, IT IS A HUGE JOB BASE, RIGHT? SO I TRAVEL ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITIES I TRAVEL TO THAT THEY'RE SHRINKING.
THEY'RE LOSING JOBS, THEY'RE LOSING MANUFACTURING JOBS.
AND SO WE HAVE THE OPPOSITE ISSUE IN A SENSE WHERE WE NEED WORKERS, WE NEED SKILLED WORKERS.
AND SO, UM, BUT REALLY ALMOST, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH IS WE SHOULD EMBRACE OUR OIL AND GAS HERITAGE, EMBRACE IT, THAT IT'S ALSO A, THAT IT'S A, A HUGE TAX BASE, BUT ALSO JOB BASE AND SO ON.
SO I THINK WE GO AND WE HIGHLIGHT IT FROM THAT IT IS AN ASSET.
YOU KNOW, WE, UM, I THINK LAST YEAR, WAS IT LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE, EXXONMOBIL JUST CELEBRATED THEIR HUNDREDTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
THERE'S A LOT OF HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARIES THAT WERE TAKING PLACE IN BAYTOWN CHURCHES AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF.
AND SO, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE, WE, WE RUN AWAY FROM IT.
'CAUSE IT IS TECHNICALLY OUR, OUR KIND OF OUR BIRTHPLACE.
SO THE EXXONMOBIL PREDATES BAYTOWN ITSELF BECAUSE OF THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE THREE CITIES.
SO IT'S KIND OF THE CHICKEN AND THE EGG WITH BAYTOWN AND, AND, AND LET'S SAY THE EXXON REFINERY MM-HMM
I'D LIKE TO PRESERVE THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY MM-HMM
UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE GONNA GROW, BUT WE STILL WANNA KEEP IT AS THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK WITH, UM, CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT AND BUILDING THEM UP, WHETHER IT HELPING THEM BUILD A CIVIC ASSOCIATION OR JUST A REGULAR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP WHERE THEY COME TOGETHER.
I KNOW HEATHER'S DONE SOME AND WE'VE ALIZE SOME IN, IN MY DISTRICT, AND THEY CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND SO I THINK IF WE CAN KEEP THAT, UM, THAT WOULD BE IDEAL.
LOVE THAT WELL PRESERVE THEIR SENSE OF A SENSE OF HISTORY AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CULTURAL CITY, BUT IT ALSO HAS A CULTURAL HISTORY, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
PEOPLE LIKE SLANDER WAS A SWEDISH GUY WHO HAD A BRICKYARD HERE IN TOWN.
THAT'S WHAT SLANDER'S NAMED THAT THERE.
SO THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT I'VE LEARNED IN MY YEARS IS ONE TO PRESERVE THAT AND HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, YES, WE WANNA PRESERVE OUR, UM, WHAT, WHAT MADE BAYTOWN BAYTOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE MM-HMM
WHICH IS EXCELLENT, AND UNCLE WALL AND ALL THAT.
SO, UM, I, I JUST WANNA PRESERVE HOW DIVERSE WE ARE IN SO MANY AREAS.
UM, WHEN I THINK ABOUT OTHER COMMUNITIES, I JUST THINK ABOUT ONE THING THAT THEY OFFER OR ONE THING THAT THEY HAVE.
AND BAYTOWN IS JUST SO DIFFERENT.
'CAUSE WE DON'T JUST HAVE ONE THING.
YES, WE ARE GROUNDED IN INDUSTRY, BUT LOGISTICALLY WE'RE AROUND THE WATER.
I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN SO MANY DIFFERENT GREAT THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED UP HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I JUST WANNA PRESERVE THE FACT THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT JUST ONE THING.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE REALLY EVER BEEN JUST ONE THING, WHETHER IT'S THE MAKEUP OF OUR PEOPLE, THE MAKEUP OF OUR BUSINESS, UM, EVEN THE MAKEUP OF OUR TERRAIN.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS IS WHAT MAKES BAYTOWN SO SPECIAL.
THE DIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS.
WHAT, UM, SO SWITCHING GEARS, WHAT, WHAT'S STANDING IN THE WAY OF BAY TOWN'S EVOLUTION? WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT THAT COULD, COULD BLOCK THE GROWTH AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OR PREVENT THE FULL REACHING ITS FULL POTENTIAL? UM, I HAVE, YEAH.
LET ME ASK YOU TO REPHRASE THAT.
THE QUESTION, SO YOU SAY GROWTH AS FAR AS WHAT, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THREATS TO THAT? WHAT COULD BE SOME THINGS THAT, THAT WOULD BE CHALLENGES? AND BEFORE YOU ANSWER, I'LL SAY THERE'S SOME THAT TAKE PLACE IN AUSTIN, RIGHT? IF, IF, IF FOLKS IN AUSTIN STATE OFFICIALS AND AND OUR STATE FOLKS HAVE LEGISLATION THAT THAT DOES NOT PROVIDE CITIES THE ABILITY TO GROW THE WAY THEY NEED TO, AND, AND KIND OF LIKE TERM THAT THEY USE, BUT LET BAYTOWN RUN BAYTOWN.
LIKE, THEY WANT TEXAS TO RUN TEXAS MM-HMM
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S LEGISLATION THAT BASICALLY, UM, WOULD HINDER, UH, CITIES TO ACTUALLY GOVERN ITSELF.
AND OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT ADVOCATE, I'M NOT ADVOCATE FOR THAT.
SO THAT SOME, THERE'S JUST SOME, THERE'S A POLITICAL CLIMATE THAT COULD PREVENT US FROM, FROM DOING THINGS OF GROWTH AND, AND OTHER THINGS.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA BRING UP.
UM, SO THAT'S BECAUSE WE, WE SOMETIMES SPEND SO MUCH TIME, UM, FIGHTING THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO JUST MOVE ON AND BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GROW INSTEAD OF HAVING TO CONTINUE TO GO DOWN TO AUSTIN AND, AND SUPPORT WHY WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE DO.
AND SO, UM, TO ME, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST ROADBLOCKS.
AND THIS MAY SEEM TOO SIMPLISTIC TO EVEN SAY, BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPEN ALONG THE WAY THAT SLOW THINGS DOWN.
[00:50:01]
BE PATIENT AND, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH ANY KIND OF GOVERNMENTAL SITUATION, WE, WE CAN HAVE ALL THESE LOVELY IDEAS AND PUT 'EM UP ON THE DRAWING BOARD, BUT EVERYTHING TAKES TIME, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO RUNNING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY AND OF EFFICIENTLY AND, AND, AND SELLING OUR COMMUNITY THE WAY WE WANT IT TO BE PRESENTED.BUT WE COULD HAVE ANYTHING FROM A PANDEMIC TO SPEAKING LOGISTICALLY TO A HURRICANE TO WHO KNOWS WHAT.
SO THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN, CAN HINDER US GETTING TO WHERE WE WANT TO GO.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS AROUND HERE, UH, WE'RE GONNA KEEP ON PUSHING ON AND EVENTUALLY WE'RE GONNA GET THERE, BUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE SURROUNDING AREA HAS GOTTA BE REALLY PATIENT AND TRUST US THAT WE'RE LISTENING.
AND THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO, IT'S DEFINITELY A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT.
SO WE TRY TO REMIND ALL OUR CLIENTS THAT, AND THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO, TO END, END THE SESSION.
UM, WE JUST WANTED TO KIND OF PROVIDE A NEXT STEP SLIDE AS WELL.
UM, SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE WILL BE DOING IS A NEXT STEP IS REALLY TAKING ALL OF THE INFORMATION WE'VE COLLECTED ON THIS TRIP, ALL OF THE OTHER DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED, AND REALLY SYNTHESIZING IT TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE SWOT ANALYSIS.
AND THEN WE WILL BE MOVING INTO THOSE PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE ELEMENTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION AND REALLY CRAFTING THAT BRAND IDENTITY, THE MESSAGING, UM, THAT, THAT BRAND PROMISE, YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION.
UM, AND THEN WE WANNA LEAVE YOU WITH A VERY TACTICAL STRATEGY.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA JUST THROW THIS INFORMATION AT YOU, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE APPLYING METRICS, TACTICS, UM, BUDGET, TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT IT'S ESSENTIALLY A ROADMAP THAT YOU ALL CAN FOLLOW AS WE, WE MOVE INTO THOSE, UM, THOSE THAT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE WILL BE LOOKING TO YOU AS WELL AS ALL THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER AND PROMOTE WHAT, WHAT OUR ULTIMATE DELIVERABLE IS.
SO, UM, THE PROJECT IS SLATED TO COMPLETE BY AUGUST 31ST.
UM, I'M SURE YOU'LL BE HEARING PLENTY MORE IN THE MEANTIME ABOUT THE PROJECT AS THOMAS AND THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS TEAM KEEPS YOU UP TO DATE.
BUT, UM, SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT TONIGHT.
THIS WAS, UM, WONDERFUL FEEDBACK AND A GREAT WAY TO END THE DAY FOR US.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
AND THANK, THANK YOU COUNSEL FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, SO BEING THAT THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL HAS ADDRESSED ALL POSTED AGENDA WORK SESSION ITEMS, THIS, THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED AND WE'LL RESET.