Where will Baytown be, as a city, in 2028? A plan is in place to meet the needs and wants of the community thanks to the latest five-year, Community-Based Strategic Plan.
The Strategic Planning Advisory Committee (SPAC) was created last year to identify top priorities from residents. The committee is trying to make sure Baytown continues to grow in the future, while outpacing expectations. The community-based plan is the second ever for the city. The first plan is wrapping up and was successful in its implementation. Through the hard work of city leaders, 75%-85% of the strategies or ideas have been completed. Most of the projects that were not finished, like Garth Road, are still in the works due to the size of the project and length of time it takes to finish them.
When talking about a community-based plan, City Manager Rick Davis, said, “It encourages deep community listening. We did this so we could adequately evaluate what our citizens believe are the factors, initiatives, ideas, and dreams that are most likely to elevate their quality of life.”
So how did the group get this information? Through community surveys that more than 2,500 residents responded to, workshops hosted in each council district, and 19 focus group meetings with key stakeholders in Baytown. The transparent process only included information from residents. The responses primarily focused on upscale shopping, fine dining, roads and traffic relief, beautification, things to do, safety and law enforcement, and community events.
Mayor Brandon Capetillo said, “I certainly think this is a great plan. We appreciate all the effort from the SPAC in creating this easy-to-understand plan.”
What will be done with the Strategic Plan? Now that it has been adopted by City Council, it will be used as a blueprint for City Council and staff over the next five years. It will point out the primary interests of residents and what the City can focus on the most.
Mayor Capetillo, along with the rest of City Council, joined together to recognize the hard work of SPAC. Members include Steven Bingham, Rebecca Conejo, Taylor Henckel. Nicholas Rice, Anjali Singh, Tommie Smith, Trevor Smith, Mark Stafford, and Kelly Williams.
To view the Strategic Plan, click this link.
To watch the presentation of the Strategic Plan, click this link.