### Williams , Rene e (OST ) 1 > OT ' bS T /^?^ ^ %l^ ^ From : Robert Hageman n [roberth@co.jefferson.ny.us ] '- ' Sent : Friday , Augus t 20 , 201 0 11:4 4 A M •^; : >.:- : To : Devany , Denni s (OST) ; Williams , Rene e (OST ) <= ^ ••--ic53 ^ Cc : Ji m Lawrence ; Barry Ormsby ; Phili p Ree d • ^ Subject : EA S Respons e fo rAR T


### ' D Rene e & Dennis

. C O I appreciat e th e outreac h don e earlie rthi s mornin g regardin g th e submitta l o f comment s o n th e thre e EA S proposal s tha t yo u hav e o n fil e fo rou rregion

. I n shor t orde rw e wil l b e forwardin g ou rofficia l correspondenc e t o bot h o f yo u an d followin g tha t u p wit h a hardcop y t o b e maile d ou t toda y a s well

. Prio rt o forwardin g ou rrecommendatio n t o you , I wante d t o contac t ou rcurren t commercia l ai rservic e carrie rt o advis e the m personall y o f th e reques t tha t w e ar e makin g o f you rdepartment

. Unfortunately , I hav e no t bee n abl e t o lin k u p directl y wit h th e appropriate officials

. I f a follo w u p cal l i s no t receive d withi n th e hour , w e wil l procee d wit h sendin g yo u th e County' s comments
. Quit e obviously , w e wil l b e requestin g tha t yo u awar d thi s lates t EA S bi d t o Gulfstream , However , I thin k

i t o f equa l importanc e tha t yo u b e mad e full y awar e o f ou rrevie w & rationale

. Than k yo u fo ryou rguidanc e throughou t thi s importan t process . W e ar e actuall y quit e excite d t o b e no w generatin g som e seriou s competitio n fo rcommercia l ai rservic e coverag e i n ou rcommunity

. Hopefully , tha t als o suggest s eve n mor e activit y i n th e futur e wil l avai l itself

. A s yo u no w deliberat e o n ho w t o proceed , wit h tw o o f thre e communitie s withi n ou rregio n supportin g a particula rcarrier , please fee l fre e t o contac t u s fo ran y additiona l input

. Hopefully , betwee n th e tw o carrier s receivin g communit y support , the y wil l b e abl e t o com e t o agreemen t o n proceedin g forwar d withou t necessitatin g anothe rroun d o f bidding

. Again , I ver y much appreciat e th e assistanc e yo u hav e provide d u s ove rth e pas t coupl e o f years . Hav e a goo d day

. Bo b

## Count y o f

Jefferso n Offic e o f

th e Count y Administrato r Histori c Courthous e 19 5 Arsena l Street , 2TM

* Floo r Watertown , N

Y 13601-256 7 Phone : (315 ) 785-307 5 Pax : (315 ) 785-5O7 0
Augus t 20 , 201 0

Denni s J
. DeVany , Chie f Essentia l Ai r Servic e Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s U
. S
. Dep t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 New Jerse y Avenue , S
. E
. Washington , D
. C
. 2059 0 RE : EA S Communit y Respons e Docke t DOT-OST-1997-284 2 Dea r Mr
. DeVany : O n behal f o f th e Count y Boardo f

Legislator s fo

r Jefferso n County , I want

to thank yo u fo r offering u s th e opportunit

y t o weig h i n on th e important deliberation s regardin g futur e commercial ai

r sci-vic c a t th e Watertow n International Airpor t which , o f course , i s mad e availabl e throug h th e U
. S
. DOT' s essential air

servic e (EAS ) program . A s yo u know , thre e proposal s wer e filedunder the docket reference dabov e an dcounty official s responsibl e fo r th e ownership , operation s an doversight

o f thi s important air transportatio n facilit

y hav e bee n engage di n acareful revie w o f eac h o f th e submittal s sinc e tha t time
. Whil e eac h o f

th e thi-e e airline s present s auniqu e opportunity worth y o f consideratio n fo

r th e par t o f norther n Ne w Yor

k serve ddirectl y b y ou

r commercial airpor

t andtw o o f

th e thre e ar

e als o prepare dt o provid e quality dail y servic e t o ou r resident s immediately , i t

i s abundantl y clea

r tha t onl y on e air carrier i s closel y linke dto th e County' s aggressiv e busines s pla n fo r increasin g commercia

l passenge r load s to servic e agrowin g loca l customer

bas e i n th e no t

to o distan t

future
. T am , therefore , ver

y please dt o advis e yo

u tha t ou r organizatio n ha s universall y endorse dth e commercia l ai r ser\'ic e proposal submitte dt o you r offic e b y Gulfstrea

mhitemationa l Airline s a s th e carrie r o f choic e fo r th e Watertow n hitemationa l Airport
. I a msure tha t yo u wil l recal l tha

t asimila r reconmiendatio n wa s mad e b y Jefferso n Count y durin g th e RF P proces s tw o year s ag o becaus e of th e clos e linkag e betwee n our respectiv e busines s plan s fo r futur e growt h o f bot h th e County' s airpor

t an dcommercial passenge r

traffi c tha t only Gulfstrea

m coul dsupply
. However , durin g thi s interi mtim e perio danother airlin e wa s awarde dth e EA Scontract . Whil e tha t air servic e ha s bee n dependable , th e organizatio n reliable , pleasan t to wor k wit h an dusuall y quit e responsiv e to any operational request s tha t w e might hav e made , in poin t

o f fact, th e enplanement

number s hav e fallen dramaticall y compare dt o th e shor t tem i sta y o f th e prio r commercial air

earner . I t i s als o vei y apparent

tha t servic e to/fi'o masub-hub in Albany , NY i s simpl y no t th e airpor t o f choic e fo r loca l resident s wishin g t

o fly ou t o f our aiiport , especiall y if

they ar e lookin g t

o continu e on t

o othe r destinatio n points
. Further , i n our mos t recen t discussion s wit

h tha t airline' s representatives , it wa s als o mad e quite clea

r tha t "th e math " simpl y doesn' t wor k i n tenn s o f gettin g to ou

r desire d10,00 0 enplanement level wit h th e typ e o f

plan e andsuggeste dflight plan s bein g offeredunder

thei r EA S proposa

l fo r th e nex t tw o years . Whil e addin g ane w linkag e fro mAlbany t

o Bosto n i s ane w initiativ e ver y much appreciated , acompetin g airlin e i s alread y offerin g asimila

r rout e plan , flying direc t

andi n les s tim e wit

h abigge r plane
. O n th e other

hand , tha t airline , Gulfstrea

mhitemational , ha s gaine dvaluabl e operational experienc e i n th e intei-vening tw o year s successfull y sending severa l northern U
. S
. communitie s durin g the winter seasons . Tha

t aspec t o f th e company' s proposal tw o year s ag o was , admittedly , avali dpoin t o f potential concern . Also , tw o year s ago , tli e recoimiiende dhub wa s Clevelan dwhic h ha s subsequentl y somewha

t downsize doveral l commercia l flights fromtha

t airport ; now , th e destinatio n point i s Boston' s Loga

n International Aiiport , whic h i s exactl y wher e ou r local traveler s wer

e previousl y demonstratin g adesir e to g o a s witnesse db y th e increase denplanement number s wit

h Bi g Sk y Airline
. Durin g ou r

meeting s wit

h Gulfstream , w e were mos t impresse dwit

h th e marketin g pla n tha t wa s bein g developed , th e fac t tha t total interlinin g agreement s wer e i n place , aspecifi c gat e & linkag e wit

h airline s i n Bosto n hadbee n established , Departmen t o f Defens e certificatio n fo

r militar y trave l wa s already i n place , th e convenienc e o f custome r web sit e acces s t

o secure ticket s wa s available , th e shor

t ter mfinancia

l & regulator

y issue s wer e disclose du

p front , apla

n ha s been develope dt o addres s additional demand s fo r air servic e i f suc h arise s and , mos t

importantly , aver

y attractiv e ticket

pricin g programwa s identifie dtha t woul dclearl y benefi t

our are atravelers
. I t i s Jefferso n County' s state dgoa l t o provid e qualit

y commercial ai r

servic e to it s loca

l custome r bas e in norther

n NY
. Wit

h Gulfstrea

mInternational Airlines , w e feel w e hav e the bes t opportunit

y t o expan dair

transportatio n servic e t o th e regio n and , i n s o doing , furthe r enhanc e potential economi c development

opportimitie s a s well , thu s movin g forwar di n aver y positiv e wa

y toward s achievin g ou

r state dgoal
. Your

endorsement

o f thi s particula

r commercial ai r

carrier , throug h the awardin g of

atw o yea r EA S contrac t

to Gulfstrea

mInternational Airline , i s hereb y requested
. I woul db e happ y to respon dt o an y question s and/o r comment s tha t

you might

hav e regardin g ou

r recommendation
. Than

k you fo r your continuin g suppor

t o f th e County' s Watertow n Internationa l Airpor t growt h & development
. I loo k

forwar dt o continuin g t o wor

k closel y wit

h yo u an dyou

r staf f o n important

initiative s simila

r t o th e on e tha

t w e ar e currentl y addressing
.

<^
. Rober t F
. Hagemann , II

I Count y Administrato rG
. Rene e Williams , Transportatio n Analys t

Count y Legislator s Airpor t Manager