Seabrook resident urges accountability, preservation amid losses to port and development

Kelly Stewart, a Seabrook resident and a founder of the citizen group Save Seabrook, told the City Council on April 1 that the community has suffered business and amenity losses and needs greater transparency and accountability.

Stewart said the group formed after Hurricane Beryl in July 2024 and described seeing neighbors without power, supplies and help. “These were not complaints. They were cries for help,” she said, adding that the group filed a recall petition because residents wanted accountability after what she called an unsatisfactory mayoral response to concerns.

Save Seabrook’s message, Stewart told the council, is focused on preserving the city’s character and rebuilding its economy. She listed local businesses and facilities that she said have closed or disappeared — including restaurants, bait shops, a boat ramp, the pier and a community pool — and said residents feel the city is losing its vision. “We want a new sound study now that the highway expansion is complete,” Stewart said, and urged fair treatment of small businesses and better communication from city officials.

Stewart also disputed statements she said were made at a candidate forum, saying the city’s assertion that staff were leaving because of recall efforts and that the recall cost the city $54,000 were false. “Both were false,” she said.

Why it matters: Stewart framed her remarks as both a critique of recent local decisions and a call for civic engagement ahead of elections, saying Save Seabrook’s success will be measured by resident turnout and participation.

The remarks were made during the public-comment portion of the April 1 meeting and did not trigger any council action or vote during that agenda item.