Transparency Framework

What Transparency Means to Baytown

We strive to offer transparency by communicating in a way that is timely, proactive, and clear, while giving our community access to information and subject matter experts. It is about telling the accurate, factual picture, being strategic in delivery, and explaining the “why” behind the “what.”

Transparency requires us to own our actions, take responsibility, and offer a sincere apology when warranted. It builds trust through consistency, ethical decision-making, and by showing that we care.

What We Do to Be Transparent

We:

• Share information in a timely and proactive manner
• Use simple, clear language free of jargon
• Provide public access to subject matter experts and relevant data
• Address topics factually, ensuring the public gets the complete picture
• Explain the “why” behind decisions, not just the “what”
• Take accountability, acknowledge mistakes, and correct inaccuracies
• Maintain consistency across platforms and departments
• Ensure data and context are easy to find and understand

How We’re Striving to be Clear

Baytown is already taking strong, visible steps toward transparency through a variety of channels and initiatives for the public and our employees, including:

• Envisio Performance Dashboard (Coming soon)
• Reynolds on the Record
• Sales Tax and GO Bond Outreach
• Baytown Voice Magazine
• Coffee with the City Manager (For employees)
• Council Meetings
• Employee Newsletter (For employees)
• Citizen Boards and Commissions
• Listening Tour
• Baytown Life Talent Website
• Stories posted to social media, our website, and the media
• Baytown Breakdown video series (Facebook)
• Better Baytown App
• Public Records Requests through the City Clerk’s Office
• RAVE Emergency Text/Email/Call Alerts
• Community engagement efforts in neighborhoods and events

These efforts reflect our dedication to reaching the public through video, print, online, and word-of-mouth channels.

What We Don’t Do

We avoid practices that undermine trust or clarity, including:

• Over-simplifying or “spinning” facts
• Using jargon, clichés, or inaccessible language
• Posting inaccurate information
• Being overly reactive or speaking too early without verified facts
• Allowing legal or policy constraints to become just an excuse for poor communication*
• Letting past history, preconceptions, or public pressure dictate our approach
• Engaging in deceptive practices
• Allowing information to be hidden, hard to find, or inaccessible

When laws or policies legitimately restrict us from sharing information (such as pending litigation, personnel issues, or confidentiality requirements), we will comply fully and explain the reason to the public whenever possible.

Push It vs. Park It: A Decision Framework

Transparency does not always mean pushing every detail to the public. We use shared principles to decide when to push and when to park information. Pushing information means actively announcing something through any communication tool; Parking information means posting information in a publicly-available space.

Push It when:

• It is legally required
• It directly impacts daily life, safety, or community well-being
• It is urgent or time-sensitive
• It has significant impacts on large numbers of people
• It addresses a topic of high public interest or expectation
• Trust could be eroded if learned elsewhere first

Park It when:

• It is routine, procedural, or of limited public impact
• It is fully available and easy to access through official channels
• It is not urgent
• It reflects a lower-priority informational interest (something nice for residents to know, but not essential for decision-making or immediate action)
• It is not global in impact (affects few people)

For Either Push or Park decisions, also consider:

• If the item is political, sensitive, or controversial
• If there is rapidly growing concern or public interest
• The order of severity and/or magnitude of the issue

Our goal is to be as open as possible, sharing all facts that don’t compromise safety or sensitive matters.

How We Know It’s Working

Transparency will be successful when:

• Residents report they can easily find and understand information
• Elected officials feel confident referencing this framework
• Public trust remains strong even when news is difficult or incomplete
• Staff are confident in their ability to communicate consistently and ethically

What’s Next

This framework will evolve based on our community’s feedback and needs, and leadership input. It will be supported by:

• Staff training and onboarding resources
• Social media and media engagement protocols
• Internal reference materials for messaging alignment

Guiding Principles: City staff shall use the Framework’s principles—timeliness, clarity, context (the “why” behind the “what”), completeness of information, ethical accountability, and public access to data and subject-matter experts—to guide all external communications.

Departmental Alignment: All departments shall align their communication plans, outreach, templates, and channels with the Framework, and with the public affairs department, which guides the Framework.