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Hello friends and neighbors,
My name is Byron Hanssen, I’m an attorney and life long Seabrook resident, running for Seabrook City Council Position #3. As a lifelong Seabrook resident, I care deeply about preserving the quality of life that makes our community special, our trails, local businesses, and strong sense of community. Through my service on Planning & Zoning and other boards, I’ve gained a practical understanding of how our city works. I’m running to provide steady, thoughtful leadership and to ensure residents have a voice in the decisions shaping Seabrook’s future. I welcome your questions
Professional Experience
- Estate Planning Attorney
- Arbitrator and Mediator
- Former U.S. Small Business Administration Attorney reviewing disaster relief loans for fraud and compliance
- Taught Procurement at University of Houston
- Prior experience across local industries including refineries, finance, hospitality, and entertainment
Community Involvement
- Planning & Zoning Commission
- Chair, Civil Service Commission
- Livable Centers Study Advisory Committee Member
Community Priority
- Boost Local Businesses
- Promote Community Events
- Improve City Signage
- Support Quality of Life Projects
Why are you running for City Council?
As someone building a family here, I want to help ensure Seabrook remains a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable place to live. I believe steady leadership, thoughtful planning, and strong community input will help preserve what makes our city special for the next generation.
What is your connection to Seabrook?
I was born and raised in Seabrook and have seen our city grow and change over the past 30+ years. From before major development to storms like Ike and Harvey, I’ve experienced both the challenges and resilience of our community. Through it all, Seabrook has kept its unique coastal charm, and it’s a place I’m proud to call home.
How have you been involved in the community?
I’ve served on the Livable Centers Study, chaired the Civil Service Commission, and most recently served on the Planning & Zoning Commission. I’ve also been attending City Council meetings for most of my life. These experiences and background have given me a practical understanding of how our city operates and the responsibility that comes with public service.
What is your educational background?
South Texas College of Law Houston, Juris Doctorate
University of Houston Clear Lake, Bachelors of Science in Legal Studies
Early Education – I attended Ed White Elementary, Seabrook Intermediate, and Clear Horizons Early College High School.
What is your professional experience?
I am an estate planning attorney and arbitrator. I previously worked with the U.S. Small Business Administration reviewing disaster relief loans for fraud and compliance. Before my legal career, I worked across local industries including refineries, finance, hospitality, and entertainment.
What training, experience, and background make you the best qualified candidate for this office?
I bring local knowledge and direct city experience. Having grown up in Seabrook, I’ve seen how decisions over time have shaped our community and why thoughtful planning matters. My service on Planning and Zoning has given me firsthand experience reviewing development and evaluating goals, options, and long-term impacts. As a small business owner, I manage budgets, make decisions, and solve problems daily. This prepares me to serve Seabrook responsibly and effectively.
What are the two biggest problems facing Seabrook residents, and what would you do to combat them?
Seabrook is fortunate to be a strong, well-managed community, but we still face important challenges that require careful attention and planning.
A key day-to-day challenge is ensuring residents receive reliable city services and well-maintained infrastructure while keeping costs under control. I would prioritize responsible budgeting, maintain existing assets, and carefully plan improvements to avoid unnecessary tax increases while keeping Seabrook running effectively.
As a coastal city, preparedness for hurricanes and flooding is critical. I would ensure our fire, police, and EMS services have the tools and technology needed to communicate clearly with residents before, during, and after emergencies. Proactive planning and coordination help reduce risk and improve response.
If the city received a $5 million grant to use for the city in any way you wished, what would you do with it and why?
Any grant funding should first strengthen the foundation of city services and infrastructure, ensuring critical needs are met before expanding into new projects.
From there, I would use community outreach to guide how remaining funds are invested. We recently saw this through the FlashVote survey, where residents identified Pine Gully Pier as a priority for rebuilding. That same outreach showed strong interest in new amenities like a skatepark and pump track.
With additional funds, I would look to enhance community priorities, including improvements to the pier and parks such as sunshades and lighting to increase usability and safety.
I would also prioritize efforts to support our local small businesses, which are an important part of Seabrook’s character and economy. This could include improved signage, better visibility along key corridors, and thoughtful improvements that make it easier for residents and visitors to access and support local businesses.
What else do you hope to accomplish as a council member?
As a council member, I will build on the good work already being done in Seabrook by strengthening community involvement, regional partnerships, and promoting our local businesses.
Strong participation in the recent community survey showed that residents want to be heard and have a voice in decisions. The City needs to provide clear, consistent communication so residents stay informed and engaged.
I will continue growing Seabrook’s relationships with neighboring communities and with county, state, and federal agencies to keep our city well represented and positioned for future opportunities.
I will support our local businesses through better signage and visibility, welcome new businesses that complement our community, and promote tourism to bring visitors to our restaurants, parks, and local shops. My goal is to preserve Seabrook’s quality of life so future generations inherit a strong community to live, work, and play.
League of Women Voters - Seabrook Candidate Forum
On April 8, the League of Women Voters hosted the Seabrook Candidate Forum at Seabrook City Hall. The forum was open to the public.
Audience members submitted questions to the League of Women Voters before they were asked to the candidates. Candidates did not receive the questions in advance, so each response was given in the moment.
The forum was recorded by I45NOW Media. The full recording is available here: https://i45.disciplemedia.com/posts/8246?sh=6reOPE_n
Below are the questions asked during the forum, along with my written responses and video clips of my answers.
1. What do you see as the biggest challenge on serving on City Council?
The biggest challenge while serving on City Council is also the most important. It is the discussions that take place int his very room, working together with differing views to come to a resolution that supports the community.
2. How would you continue supporting the community if not elected?
I would continue volunteering for the city. I have volunteered on the Civil Service and Planning & Zoning Commissions, the City is always in need of volunteers.
3. Should EDC be funding Seabrook Businesses?
The EDC is intended to help support existing businesses and attract new ones. “Funding” sounds like it is providing working capital and there are other programs that can provide that. I think “Funding” goes beyond the mark.
4. What if any are your plans to improve police department facility ?
The police department has did receive funds to make repairs. My understanding is they are still in the flood zone and have to have a second dispatch at the Meyer Fire station. I think we should review alternatives to get them out of the flood zone.
5. How do you plan to increase awareness of city plans within the community?
I think the City does a great job of this. Promoting local events on social media, you can find agenda with attachments on the city website, and watch livestreams on Youtube. The City has also gone beyond just notifying residents, with new FlashVote program. They have already been using it but I am excited to see how this engagement works.
6. Any plans on enforcing times when people can fish on Main Street?
No. We live in an area with refineries where people work odd hours and fishing may be their only chance to relax. the underlying issues I have heard sound like further enforcement of littering, public intoxication, and noise ordinance. May better serve the issue.
7. How do you plan to navigate the carve out requirement by the State of Texas for mobile homes with respect to neighborhood charters?
Our City is mostly developed. My understanding is that this requirement requires the new zoning for mobile homes (manufactured homes) to be on vacant property that has not already been developed. So if your neighborhood is already developed, it would not be possible to add this to your zoning.
8. How would you respond to the City being under scrutiny for purging records and limiting public information?
I remember the discussion from that city council meeting. Something that I don’t believe was given proper weight was how inexpensive digital storage has become. I would want to extend retention policy for Agendas and attachments as well as livestreams.
9. What is the timeline for Pine Gully pier to be completed?
This connects back to the current council’s use of FlashVotes to poll the community. The community poll showed a strong desire for Pine Gully Pier to be built, City Council said, “then we are going to get you the best pier we can for the money”. The pier design has been approved and is currently out for material bids for the pilings looking at wood, concrete, or a new screw piling system.
10. What is one decision you would put forth in the first 90 days that would have the greatest impact for the residents, and what trade off would you make to make it happen?
I have a bit of a green thumb, so for this I would plant a seed. We recently saw the completion of the Highway 146 flyover, and we need to let people know what they are flying over. Consistent signage throughout the city to support the businesses we already have, and that support will help bring in additional businesses. The trade off is time, we won’t see those results over night.
11. Specifically how do you plan to work with the Mayor and City Manager?
Good, I don’t foresee any issues working with either of them. Council makes decisions as a single body.
12. What are your thoughts on the direction the city is going?
Positive. I view it like a pyramid. The city has a strong foundation, clean water in the taps, reliable trash pickup, new sewer plant, good foundation. We have a good relationship with our emergency services, police response and volunteer fire department. And towards the top of the pyramid the city is able to focus on improving infrastructure and quality of life projects.
Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department
Candidate Forum was open to the public and conducted on April 8th at Seabrook City Hall. Throughout the forum audience could submit questions to the League of women voters for review before being asked to the candidates. This forum was recorded by I45 Now media. As of posting, 4/19/2026 that video has not been published.
Candidates were each given 1 minute to provide their response. The following are the questions and my recollection of my response given on the night.
1. What do you see as the biggest challenge on serving on City Council?
The biggest challenge while serving on City Council is also the most important. It is the discussions that take place int his very room, working together with differing views to come to a resolution that supports the community.
2. How would you continue supporting the community if not elected?
I would continue volunteering for the city. I have volunteered on the Civil Service and Planning & Zoning Commissions, the City is always in need of volunteers.
3. Should EDC be funding Seabrook Businesses?
The EDC is intended to help support existing businesses and attract new ones. “Funding” sounds like it is providing working capital and there are other programs that can provide that. I think “Funding” goes beyond the mark.
4. What if any are your plans to improve police department facility ?
The police department has did receive funds to make repairs. My understanding is they are still in the flood zone and have to have a second dispatch at the Meyer Fire station. I think we should review alternatives to get them out of the flood zone.
