### Martin , Michae l fOST ) OFJR.^HrplffPfp-^:?-' ^

From : Charlott e Warre n [charwarren04347@gmail.com ] - ' rrrD'^OAT ^ Sent : Wednesday , Septembe r29 , 201 0 9:5 0 A M '- ' trCilAliuN S To : Devany , Denni s (OST) ; Martin , Michae l (OST ) Subject : Comment s fo rU

. S Departmen t o f Transportatio n regardin g D6i9<©lcPQT^S^-''9?7i^84 ; EA S Airlin e Contrac t fo rth e Augusta , Main e Stat e Airpor t ' •
Dea r sirs

. Pleas e as k

tha t th e U.S

. Departmen t

o f Transportatio n (USDOT ) recogniz e tha t constituent s o f

other s than th e August aCit y Counci l ar e serve db y th e August aStat e Airpor t an dth e airlin e chose n b y USDO T for th e EA S contrac t t o serv e tha t

Airport

. I recogniz e th e August aCit y Council' s desir e t o suppor t th e recommendation s o f it s ow n Airport

Committee

. Bu t

tha t Committee' s advice , t o recommen dCap e Ai r ove r U S Air , i s a

t complet e odd s with overwhelmin g publi c respons e t o th e contrary
. I as k tha t yo u selec t

t o continu e th e servic e o f USAi r a t th e August aStat e Airport , for th e reason s includin g thos e outline dbelo w b y on e o f my constituent s wh o ha s contacte dm e wit h thi s plea : I amafrequen t

busines s flye r

fro mth e August aStat e Airpor t i n Augusta , Maine , i n support o f continuin g USAir/Pinnacle/Colga n a s th e EA S supporte dairline

. Thi s i s acas e i n whic h th e USDO T shoul dcarefull y conside r th e weigh t

i t give s an y recommendatio n b y th e August aCit y Council , it s airport committee , o r

staf f befor e assumin g that

suc h recommendatio n b e heeded

. Thes e recommendation s ar e flawe db y afailur e t o hav e areasonable , aimounce dpubli c inpu t proces s i n th e importan t decision , an dt o flatl y ignor e th e overwhelmin g support

o f that publi c which , despit e th e process , responde dwhe n alerte db y concerne dairport users . Th e August aCity Counci l bowe dt o th e recommendatio n o f it s Airport

Committe e despit e what th e Mayo r an dcouncilor s describe da s th e mos t publi c inpu t

the y hav e ha do n an y issu e i n an y o f thei r individua l tenure s o n th e Council

. The y admitte dthat thi s publi c inpu t

wa s virtuall y al l i n favo r o f USAir/Pinnacle/Colga n (hereafte r referre dt o a s USAir ) retainin g it s servic e t o th e Stat e Airport , h i addition , publi c commen t ; submitte dt o Augusta' s newspaper , th e Kermebe c Journa l (onlin e version : K J OnLine ) o n tw o occasion s ran 8 0 t o 9 0 pe r

cen t i n favo r o f retainin g USAir

.

, So , first , I as k

tha t yo u conside r

th e opinio n o f

th e August aare apubli c i n thi s an dunderstan dthat th e City Council' s recommendatio n doe s no t reflec t th e opinio n o f

eve n it s ow n constituenc y (populatio n 18,440) , ; muc h les s th e airport-usin g communit y o f th e surroundin g regio n outsid e th e Cit y o f August a(Kennebe c an d Frankli n Countie s alone , minu s Augusta , hav e apopulatio n o f 132,000)

. Th e overwhelmin g majority o f th e publi c wh o car e abou t

thi s issu e wan t

USAi r t o stay
. Second , I as k

tha t yo u conside r

th e Airport

Committee , it s proces s leadin g t o thi s recommendation , an dit s qualification s t o b e th e foundatio n upo n whic h aconvincin g recommendatio n t o yo u an dth e USDO T i s ; poorl y supported

. Th e proces s at n o tim e aske dth e August aAirpor t users , beyon dth e pilot s an doccasiona l commercia l flyer s o n th e Airport Committee , for

input

. Th e publi c wa s not invite dno r

welcom e t o atten dth e Augus t 1 1 t h presentation s o f

th e tw o carrier s competin g fo r th e contrac t

i n orde r t o as k question s an djudg e ; for themselve s th e relativ e merit s o f th e proposals

. Durin g th e Augus t

1 1 t h presentations , th e Committe e aske dfo r specifi c response s fro mUSAi r an dagree d that USAi r coul dge t bac k t o the mwith answer s (e.g

. on e o n revisin g price s downward.

. .whic h it sinc e ha s
• no t onl y answere dbu t

implemented)

. Th e Counci l almos t mad e it s decisio n o n thi s issu e durin g it s informationa l meetin g o n Augus t 12th , withou t

benefi t o f th e answer s th e Airport

Committe e sough t

an d I withou t mentio n b y th e Committe e chair , aCounci l member

. Th e Counci l at th e urgin g of

th e publi c attendin g ! that thi s issu e wa s to o importan t t o g o withou t

a n opportunit y for

publi c input , se t

th e specia l Counci l meetin g 1for

Augus t 19t h instead

. S o b y happenstance , an dno t with th e follow-throug h o f th e Airport

Committe e o n it s obligatio n t o USAir , th e carrie r responde dt o thes e questions

. At th e Augus t

11t h USAi r presentation , aCommitte e membe r aske dwhethe r

th e carrie r

woul dhangar

it s plan e i n Augusta

. I

t wa s explaine dthat

i t woul dnot , havin g t o see k thi s amongs t

means t o lowe r

it s cos t t o mee t th e EA S cap a s i t

ha dcommitte dto
. Give n th e Rocklan dmodel , an dconfirme da t th e Augus t

19t h Counci l meetin g b y Cap e Air' s state dinten t t o hous e aplan e an dpilo t i n Augusta , I questio n th e objectivity with whic h th e tw o Airpor t Committe e member s wh o ar e employe db y th e logica l candidat e t o hangar an d fuel th e Cap e Ai r

plan e mad e thei r

decision s t o suppor t

thi s recommendation

. Anothe r Committe e membe r testifie da t th e 19t h Counci l meetin g that

USAi r supporter s ha d"mislabeled " aphot o b y showin g aSAA B 34 0 for us e i n August ai n USAi r livery

. Th e fac t

that th e SAAB s use dno w i n August aactuall y us e thi s livery , a s wel l a s som e wit

h Colga n Ai r

livery , demonstrate s thi s member' s lac k o f touc h with August aAirport commercia l flyin g operations

. In fact , I a mno t awar e o f an y frequen t

busines s traveler s o n thi s Committee

. Both th e Committe e an dth e Counci l repeatedl y belittle dth e need s o f th e busines s communit y i n favo r o f potential leisur e flyers , an dfelt the y woul db e bette r

serve db y Cap e Air

. Fo r th e sak e o f

aleisur e flyer

gettin g discounte dticket s o n th e occasiona l tri p with Cap e Ai r an dJe t Blue , the y ignore dth e August abusines s flyer with dozen s o f

enplanement s eac h yea

r wh o depend s o n th e mor e robus t USAi r syste mfro mAugust at o b e abl e t o earn alivin g in Centra l Maine

. previou s writte n b y Kevi n McGinni s Than k yo u for you r time , Charlott e Warre n Mayor , Cit y o f

Hallowel l 207.441.911 6