for all. we seek to partner with the city and other educational institutions to engage and excites usyouth and your experience the wind and weather. we believe this would broaden the public purpose with the healthy people initiatives. >> if you heard your name called, please come of to the microphone. >> my name is andrew waters, and i am a partner with white taxis in san francisco. many people associate it as something that sticks in the embarcadero and a tourist trap. we represent a model that is

trying to expand into different parts of the city, and we view the america's cup as a way of doing that. i have a unique perspective. i appreciate what it does to the waterfront. essentially, we understand the america's cup is not just something that is an event. we are looking at the back side of the america's cup, what it represents for the city of san francisco, and in a way it is all launch pad to make it more attractive for future events. we have a specific plan that would add 150 jobs. i hear about big corporations doing that, but this is a reality, and i have been in front of various commissions, but the plan is in place. we have a timeline to do that.

if it gets done sooner rather than later, we are able to implement that. we can help solve the problems transitional transit options are not able to address. we can do that in a sustainable way. we can create jobs and create something the city can use as a positive marks for the rest of the country. i think most of the work is already done with the e.i. are, -- the eir, and we look forward to seeing this done, because we look forward to changing san francisco. >> thank you. >> good evening, madame president and commissioners. i am the secretary treasurer,

and since 1939 we have been a charter local. at the port of san francisco we garden pier 35, pier 27, 29 and now, and 32. we have roughly 200 members. 25% of them are women. 43% are african-american. 50% caucasian, 9% asian and 9% hispanic, and we support the development of the terminal named after our a steamed past president. we remote region we reviewed the america cup plan, and we appreciate the opportunity to create new jobs, even is is seasonable. good our members are ready to guard the facilities where the

boats will be docked. cruise lines and continue calling at our report. we urge your approval so we get to the next step of talking about specifics very good -- about specifics. >> veronica sanchez for the international organization of pilots. i am here speaking in support of the america's cup.

blue and gold is a good solid union company from top to bottom, and we look forward to those jobs. we thank those who are bouncing around the need for the use of clean fields and the desire to use the local ferry fleet. we have more than enough qualified and competent masters in the bay who can do this work. we look forward to navigating these ferries to those seen this wonderful raise.

>> i am the vice president and chief marketing officer. i am here in support of the eir and the america's cup. there is a popular misconception is the proverbial moment in time in the city's life, that the sailors below into town and right back out again, leaving behind only the breeze and the

waves. i am on behalf of the 122 employees. i am here to stay where in full support of the america's cup coming to san francisco for two reasons. the improvements along the waterfront and along the city as well as the impact of will be felt in the dollar's and the jobs but will be snapped up by the people who live here. the second level comes as a result of two things. first, the visibility that comes from hosting the third most revered of zandt.

-- the third most viewed event. people have told their friends about the scene, the scenic beauty along the waterfront, and everything else there is to see and do. we believe that is the impact and would keep this city as successful and resilience as it has proven to be and will keep the ball around the world returning to the city by the bay. -- keep people around the world returning to the city by the bay. thank you for a much. >> good evening. i am the deputy director of special projects. we are the nonprofit partner of

the national park. we're very excited about america's cup coming to san francisco, and we know it will draw large crowds to watch these thrilling races. the parks conferred in -- park conservancy has a deep connection. i am here on behalf of the thousands of generous donors who provided $36,000 in support and the more than 16,000 volunteers who grew and planted at the site and continued to donates every year. more than 1 million visitors all care deeply about this special space. we realize certification does not require identification of funding sources for mitigation, but without funding from some

sources, it will not be feasible. the city staff and the america's cup staff have been responsive and sympathetic, but we would like to request the final steps be taken and specific funds be allocated for the protection and the restoration today previous condition. i would like to close with a special remark to commissioners. you probably feel release stress after these meetings. i invite you to go to chris the field and go for a walk. you can appreciate this beautiful city and this beautiful national park, which is the reason so many of us are here today, so i hope to see you soon. >> how is the lighting? usually we are out of here by 10:00. [laughter] >> everything is good.

rex good evening, commissioners. i am the director of organizing for the international longshore warehouse hunan region where ross union. i want to follow on the remarks made in support of certification and in support of the coup. one thing vathe eir does not deal with is social equity, and that is something we have to deal with, making sure these are jobs with good benefits and good working conditions, and i am sure that is an issue that is going to be played out as we go forward, but i am in support of the cup, and one benefit of these meetings is you get to meet people, and i had the occasion of meeting the event manager. we have agreed to get together

over the next few weeks to discuss these issues of social equity, so i hope these will be positive and we can move ahead with a successful america's cup, so thank you for your time, and thank you for listening to these concerns. >> my name is john platt. thank you for the time and all the work that has gone into this. i work for a company called sports supply, and i am fortunate. i travel around all the marine businesses in the bay area, commercial and recreational marine businesses, and for the last four years plus it has been depressing to do what i am doing sometimes. these businesses have been hurt seriously in the recession, and there is a lot of excitement in the community, in the boating

community and the business community, so i am very much in support of this and i hope you will support it, too. i was not raised in yacht clubs, but once he goes sailing you get hooked. i would venture 90% of its citizens do not realize what we have here. one of bowdothe goals is to proe sailing. this is an opportunity to see what sailboat's do excessively, and it is a great opportunity. i live in alameda, n.yand it isa great place. i would love to see the top here. but it is going to be a lot of fun, and thank you for being here and doing this.

>> thank you. >> good evening. i am president of the dolphin club. dithank you for the opportunityo speak, and we are in support of america's cup. it is a global of xanthan basically will descend upon how our cities -- a global event that basically will descend upon our city, but one concern is the invasion by virtue of not only the boats, because it is something we never accepted -- something we have exempted, but more importantly, the proposal of a jumbo drawn -- jumbotron, a

video screen on a barge that is approximately 10 stories long. the size is roughly the same panel that is directly on your wall behind you, and the category of both the environmental issues of sound, air, water, and the safety issues for our swimmers is paramount for my concern. the gravity of that is there is no mitigation for our swimming. there is no other place we could safely swim. the category of communications on a jumbotron has other options. the last category is we are in support, but our biggest

concern is the safety of themselve environment. the details have not been explained, but we do not want our water activity diminished more than it is now, and i invite you to either come for a swim, come to test the waters. we also have this sunday, and i invite you and the rest of the crowwd to the new year's eve alcatraz swim. you will see the category of 4000 per month. it is something you cannot sit nine or diminish.

-- cannot deny or diminish. >> we have 6000 members in san francisco and 30,000 in the bay area. i represent those members on the environmental council. we have been working for the last 10 months. we share some of the concerns about the pollution to the aquatic park area, also concerns about the golden gate park conservancy, the concerns of the national park service. it is important for our park lands to be protected. we have supported the america's cup since the beginning, and we continue to do so. we wanted to be as clean and

sustainable as possible and for the city to be able to enjoy the your own while it is going on. -- to enjoy their own city while it is going on. thank you very much. >> i represent the south beach yacht club. we support the certification of the environmental impact report and an immediate vote this weekend. we have concerns about traffic, increased cost, difficulty parking, and those sorts of things. we believe the amount of review and the comments and responses have been well done. our members and neighbors have followed along closely, and we are satisfied with how that

process has taken place. we believe it is appropriate to service via -- to certify the report tonight and focus on details of implementation, and that is where we are at now, and we are happy to assist with that. a key consideration is water access and how to increase the for the city. not for us it means a events that we do for us it means the events that are not racists -- for us it means of vans that are not -- events that are not races. we have seen interest among sailors, and if we can get city- backing, we will increase the

amounts. the ability to host another international of france -- international event. the redevelopment is hamstrung now, so we are hoping they can come together to increase access on the water. it is about jobs, access, environmental awareness, and we hope you will certify this report tonight. >> hello, my name is vincent, and i have lived in the bay area since 1963. i came to the bay area wanting to sail, and i came here wanting to do that. the fact of the cup has come to san francisco is something i have thought about for many

years. i wanted to speak briefly about what i saw take place in auckland over the two cops that were there. they took an underused waterfront area and did a huge redevelopment that included apartment buildings, shops, and the america's cup team. in really alter the city, and i think it has the opportunity to do the same kind of alteration to the waterfront common -- waterfront, and they made sure the area had plenty of public access, but they could have the same access they have started with. it was much greater because they had taken on used warehouses and made it part of the public domain. i also want to talk about what it will do for the media community. i am a videographer.

i make my living shooting sailboat races, and if you have seen any of it, you have seen them go head over heels. for me, this is a big opportunity, and i urge you to certify the eir so we can move forward with this. thank you very much. >> i am norman peers. i am a founding member of the yacht club. it is called fog city yacht club. this idea was spurred by the america's cup because there is a need for everybody in the city to participate. i have been fortunate enough to attend several america's cups in

the past. i have the opportunity to be in portugal and also in san diego. the event management, the oversight is extremely professional. they are very concerned with every aspect of the environment. they take the time and energy to clean up after they leave, and it is one of the best professional organizations i have seen. as far as its impact on the ecology and building, i think it is going to be nothing but positives. the awareness of we do have a waterfront and we have the ability to participate in recreation and taking advantage of the changing waterfront to the maritime recreation.

it would be very positive for our fiscal impact and growth in these hard times. we have people lined up ready to go. we just need your permission to launch 100%. >> is there any additional public comment on this item? >> good evening, chairman and members of the commission. i am from one of the largest and oldest neighborhood associations, and we have been thrilled to be working hard with the city for over 10 months to make this a winning a vent for all of us.

it was also one of the first groups to champion moving the center of america's cup from the southern waterfront to the northeastern waterfront. we are excited. sometimes it is said people who live on the waterfront do not want anyone to come here, that we are afraid of people visiting us and want to keep it to ourselves. nothing could be further from the truth. the people who live along the waterfront love it more than anyone. we want to show it off, and we are proud to do so. we are happy this is moving forward and expected to do so in a timely fashion. our concerns are that the environmental document failed to look of the actual impact. it treated it like an island unto itself, and this is where people are going to go to look at the america's cup, but they failed to consider with the

volume of traffic and noise might be, so we would urge you to take the time to do this right. it can be done in a timely fashion without rushing it, and we can make this a better event for all of us. >> thank you. >> good evening, commissioners. this is a san francisco nonprofit organization in california. our nonprofit-run businesses we have employed over 6000 individuals facing barriers to employment as well as supporting over 50 different non-profit-run enterprises. we are in support of the america's cup and are excited about the partnership to bring

opportunities to the america's cup. san francisco have a leading tradition, and we think the america's cup presents a fantastic opportunity to showcase that tradition of using such a prestigious event which with such impact to harness that efforts to improve local communities, so we encourage you to certify tonight. thank you very much. >> katherine hoover. and >> i speak before you wearing two hats. my first is representing the passenger cruise industry. most of my professional career has been in the professional cruise industry. i am happy to be back in my native san francisco. in my role as a marketer, one of

the things we did was market research, and there is no question that we have one of the most desirable sports to visit. i was blessed to travel the globe on passenger cruise ships and can say there are four or five gloria's ports in the world, one of them being in san francisco, hong kong, sydney, vancouver. one reason i am in support of america's cup, and i am not a small boater, but i am in support of sleep week because of the partnership and the results to have a proper professional passenger terminal. sadly what we are operating wilson is embarrassing ways of standard, and one of the benefits is going to have a fantastic, compliant, ecologically sensitive port facilities. just go down to the port and

take a swim. come down to the court sunday when we have a passenger ship, and you will wince. i admire the speed these partnerships have been evolved. the second half i am wearing, and i speak on behalf of sleekly because i am the operations director. we support america's cup, because a while we may suffer for a couple years, we support it because it once again what we are going to be left with after america's cup realizes the joy, will be some proper port facilities, because it is really sad. we have snaggletooth course -- ports,