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HAL BROWN was my Valley The longtime Ross Valley supe is leaving the Brown talks to the ‘Pacific Sun’ in November of 1982, after being appointed by cousin Jerry Brown to the Marin County Board of Supervisors.
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n his 28 years on the Marin County Board of Supervisors, Hal Brown has touched many lives and hearts. His colleagues and constituents have anxiously waited for news of his health, hoping for the best and dreading the worst, ever since he revealed last December that he was battling pancreatic cancer. Unable to attend weekly meetings while undergoing grueling radiation and chemotherapy treatments, he stuck to his job, keeping up with the issues from home. Then came the encouraging news that he’d completed treatment and was in recovery, but still too weak to return to full-time work. Finally, he announced that he’d decided to retire from the job he loved. Letting go was as difficult for him as it is for all those who worked with him and care about him. He’ll probably miss those lengthy board meetings least of all; too much talk. Brown has never been one to waste words. He just likes to get things done. When a devastating fire swept through the Oakland hills in 1991 he established FIRESafe Marin, one of the first community-based fire councils that now protect neighborhoods throughout California. He also pushed for the 1996 parcel tax that funds our fireflow program, ensuring a water-delivery 12 PACIFIC SUN OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 27, 2011
board for a bigger fight... system that can fight any fires that do a study funded he would provide the occur. He’s fought for funding for schools money for it. There were a million things. and breast cancer research. In honor of He was always there for Fairfax when we his work to preserve open space, a park needed him. Every time we asked, he came in Greenbrae now carries his name. He through.” Tremaine remembers butting recently received the Marin Conservation heads with the supervisor many times League’s Special Award for Environmental over the years, but says Brown never let Achievement for his “extraordinary compersonal politics interfere with what was mitment” to environmental preservation. good for his constituents. “He would come One of his toughest battles concerned through for the town even if he might the property tax to fund flood control in have been pissed at me about something. the Ross Valley, Brown’s response to the What I like about Hal is he can vehemently 2005 storms that left downtown San Ansel- disagree with someone, but he’d never mo under 4 feet of water. For him, it was burn the bridge because you don’t know a no-brainer. Yet the ballot measure was a when you’re going to be standing shoulsqueaker, passing by only 65 votes—and der-to-shoulder on the next issue.” only after 1,708 ballots were tossed because Tremaine credits Hal Brown with the voters hadn’t signed them. Three years of eventual passage of the ordinance that l aw s u i t s f o l made it poslowed, with sible to estabby Jill Kramer S a n An s e l m o lish the Marin Councilman Ford Greene claiming the Energy Authority, providing a greener measure would have been defeated if all the alternative to PG&E. “He worked on it ballots had been counted. Finally the state with us for years. It was Brown who kept Supreme Court validated the election and that fire burning.” the flood control district got the go-ahead While Brown’s presence on the board to start work. will be sorely missed, his friends and col“He was very helpful when we struggled leagues are glad he’s making his health a with flood recovery,” says Fairfax Town priority. Sen. Barbara Boxer recently sent Councilman Lew Tremaine. “If we needed him a note saying as much. “Hal Brown
Brown announced earlier this month that he would not return to the board.
dedicated his career to helping the citizens of Marin County,” she tells the Sun, “and they clearly appreciated his sincere devotion. Now I have told him it’s time for him to focus on his health and getting back on his feet.” Brown spoke with us by phone last week, his deep voice a friendly growl. We talked about many of the issues he’s worked on over the course of his career, as well as his family history, his health and his thoughts on the future. ● ● ● ●
I know your father was a judge and your uncle [Pat Brown] was a governor, which makes me curious about your grandparents. What were their lives like? Oh, boy. Actually my grandfather ran a gambling hall. Oh, you’re kidding! And my grandmother was a teacher. She died at age 92. She was an avid reader and a wonderful woman. Tell me about your grandfather and the gambling hall. This was in San Francisco?