Hindsight is 2020:Navigating Transparency and Open MeetingsPanel:

• Tito Rodriquez, Councilmember, North Richland Hills• Rick Davis, City Manager, Baytown• Jannette Goodall, City Clerk, Austin• Becky McGrew – City Secretary, Katy• Jay Warren, Director of Communications and

Legislative Affairs, Arlington• Moderator – Mary Lynne Stratta, City

Secretary/Communications-Legislative Director, Bryan

Austin: 2020 Challenges

Pandemic Winter Storm

Police Protests/Reimaging Public Safety Public

Input

Homeless Encampments

Challenging Election Year

Verifying 5 Initiative Petitions

Remote Meetings for Council, Council

Committees and 70+ B/C

Austin: Pandemic Challenges

Remote Meetings for Council, Council

Committees and 70+ B/C

Remote participation

Ballot Application

Emergency OrdersCouncil

Inauguration and Orientation

B/C Training and Oaths of Office

Austin: Highlights and Lessons Learned

Remote Meetings

• Key note: remote doesn’t mean remote for everyone

• Remote meetings require more planning and work than in-person meetings

Public Participation

• 2019: 5,856 requests to speak

• 2020: 6,804 requests to speak (16% increase)

• June 2020: 2,762 requests (40% of the annual number)

• 2021 (Jan-July): 2,568 requests to speak

Rethinking business processes

• Experiment with new ideas and technology

• Be flexible

Impact on Business Operations, Staff and

Public

• Staff morale

• Public expectations

Elevating Trust

Trust lies at the intersection of trustworthiness

and competency

Seek First to Understand

We cannot demonstrate either necessary element, trustworthiness or competency, without first

LISTENING

PatiencePatience is not only a virtue … When it comes to

community-based strategic planning, it is

THE VIRTUE

Launch Data Gathering Analysis Composition

Engage the community and

learn what matters most to Baytown

It’s all about the listening

LaunchData Gathering

Analysis

Composition

Develop the Mission“If you don’t know where you’re going,

you might end up somewhere else.”

--Yogi Berra

Create the Process Outline

What specific action items are associated with each phase of the

strategic planning process. (p. 62)

For Illustrative Purposes OnlyLaunch

Data

Gathering

Develop the mission.

Determine timeline.

Determine number and type of data gathering activities/questions.

Identify critical stakeholder groups.

Create timeline

Develop data gathering

Schedule data gathering activities

Execute data gathering activities

Administer survey

Hold focus group meetings

Create the TimelineTime is what we want most, but what we use worst.

-- William Penn

For Example

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR

Launch

Data

Analyze

Compose

What do you want to know?Your objective is to gain a multi-dimensional picture of what

citizens truly believe would result in greater trust between the

community and our police department.

• What would be most impactful?

• What is the most important thing

to be accomplished?

• Use a hypothetical. What is

most indicative of change?• Make it personal. What would

cause YOU to have greater

trust?

Community Outreach

WorkshopsParticipants are invited to brainstorm and present ideas to each other.

InterviewsGain the perspective of key figures in the community, such as elected leadersand key influencers.

Focus GroupsFacilitated sessions with groups that share a unique outlook on the community.

Community SurveyShort, easy survey that is made available to all residents.

Zoom ChangedM y Work L i f e

BECKY L. MCGREW - KATY, TEXAS

C i t y Counc i l Meet ings

Ourcitizen participationwent up - way up!And itwas ouractive residents

who either own community Facebook pages or serve the community; so

suddenly theyarepushing and enforcing accurate info that helps educate

the community and squash negativerumors.

Itforced us to getwith the times. We now have a camera systemand

while participation isn'tvirtual, theycan still observelivemeetings

remotely.

ResidentsSocial Services

Reaching the community

you can't physically

touch.

Our staff meetings went virtual and suddenly

everyone is at a computer with more

information and resources to research, address

changes and develop plans and documents

while they are being discussed. And screen

sharing! Screen sharing while collaborating is

this educational powerhouse and skyrocketed

our productivity.

S t a f f – I n t e r n a l

I m p a c t s & G r o w t h

Next L e v e lUsing Zoom to record trainings

Used Zoom to create tutorials for an outgoing staff member so that

they could help train their replacement. Sometimes governmentmoves

slow, so we have to act smart and utilize these tools.

Lesson

f o r To d a y

2020 pushed us beyond our limits,

but we took that momentum and we are still

running with it.

ARLINGTON, TX

CITY OF ARLINGTON CHALLENGES

COVID-19 Pandemic

Economic Downturn

Racial Justice Protests

Mass Vaccinations

Historic Winter Storm

COMMUNICATION LESSONS

Change your mindset

Repetition is okay

Bring in Reinforcements

It doesn’t have to be perfect

COMMUNICATION LESSONS:SHOW YOUR WORK

RESOURCEWEBPAGES

COMMUNICATION LESSONS:SHARE, SHARE AND SHARE

COMMUNICATION LESSONS:OUTREACH

DIVERSITY OUTREACH

TARGETED OUTREACH

LOOK FOR HUMAN INTEREST

COMMUNICATION LESSONS

Look for storytelling opportunities

Showcase employee efforts

Human interest

COMMUNICATION LESSONS:DIVERSITY OUTREACH

36

COMMUNICATION LESSONS:

TECHNOLOGY

Citibot

CodeRed

Ask Arlington App

Tele-work

COMMUNICATION LESSIONS:INTERNAL

BUILD PARTNERSHIPS

OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION

EMPLOYEES ARE AMBASSADORS