## 810-090916-07 0 

# O ULS.D«Dartin«nto f Assistan t Secretar y 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S

E ThinSortatlo n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

y r^r r9 0 9nn Q o f Transportatio n Ut L / i » ^"" ^ 

### Th e Honorabl e Stephani e Herset h Sandli n U.S . Hou.se o f

Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Congresswoman Sandlin : Thank yo u fo r you r letter supportin g th e proposal submitte db y th e Cit y of Siou x Cit y fo r agrant under th e Smal l Conimunity Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Progra m(Smal l Communit

y Program) . I a

mrespondin g o n behal f

o f Secretary LaHood . Th e Smal l Communit

y Programwa s establishe dt o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s ai r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dt o hig h airfare s an dinsufficien

t service . Congres s appropriate d$ 8 millio n fo r grant award s under

thi s progra

mi n Fisca l Yea r 2009 . Under

tli e statute , th e U.S . Departmen t of Transportatio n ma

y us e th e fund s to mak

e amaximu mo f

4 0 gran t award s eac h year , althoug h n o mor e tha n fou r ma y b e t o communitie s i

n th e sam e State . I

n order to provid e communitie s wit h latitud e i

n developin g solution s to thei r ai r servic e problems , th e statut e provide s significant flexibilit y i n ho w th e financia

l assistanc e ma

y b e used . On Jul y 10 . th e Departmen t issue da n order requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste di

n receivin g agrant

thi s yea r file thei r application s b y Augus t

28 . A s thes e grant

request s are pendin g befor

e th e Department . I a

msur e yo u understan dtha

t I canno t comment on th e merit s o

f an y particula

r proposal . I assure you . however , tha t th e Department

will giv e ful l consideratio n t o al l th e proposal s tha t hav e bee n filed . 'A s i s our norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop y of

your letter an dthi s respons e i

n Docket OST-2009-014 9 a s acontac t outsid e th e recordof

thi s matter . I appreciate you r interes t i n thi s program . Sincerel y yours .

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistant Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an dInternational Affair s09/16/200 9 WE D 9:4 5 FAX 

## S I 0-090916-07 0

STEPHANI E HERSET H SANDLI N

A i t/.iKif , SOUT H OAfOTj k WASHINGTON , D C 33 1 CAMNO H HOUS E OFFIC E BUILOIN C WASKiNOTon , D C 2051 5 PHC«.' E (202 ) 22&-280 1 FA X 1202)225-582 3 COMMITTE E O N AGRICULTUR E SutcoMMirrE C O N CONSERVATION . CREDIT .

ENSBBV , AM P RssfAnc H SuscoMuiiTe E ON GENERA L FAR M Cor,vMoiTiE S

AN D RIS KMANAGEMEN T COMMITTE E O N VETERANS ' AFFAIR S SUBCOMMITTE E O N ECOMOMI C OrporauxiTY , Chui n http://harsathsandlln.houso.gav / 

# ^ttn^xm ^ tt i i\} t WxiU h state s COMMITTE E O N NATURA L RESOURCE S SuGcoi<iMiTT6 E O N NATIONA L PABKS , FORESTS , AN D PUDII C LAND S SELEC T COMMITTE E O N ENERG Y INDEPENDENC E AN D GLOBA L WARMIN G Septembe r

3,200 9 Tli c Honorabl e Ray LaHoo d Secretar y U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0 Re : Pendin g application . Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Progra m Docke t #OST-2009-014 9 Dea r Mr . Secretary : I a mwritin g to expres s my suppor t fo r tli e above-reference dgran t applicatio n submitte db y th e City o f Siou x City , Iowa . Thi s opportunit y i s offere dthroug h th e U. S Departmen t o f Transportation' s Smal l Communit y Air Servic e Developmen t

Program . I f selecte dfo

r funding , Siou x City propose s t o generousl y supplemen t $600,00 0 o f

programfund s wit

h S683,50 0 i n local matchin g fund s t o implement strategie s for

accessin g marlcet s t o th e east , includin g Chicago . Presently , Siou x City ai r traveler s enjo y reliabl e servic e t o th e Delt aAir Lines/Northwes t

Air Line s hu b i n Minneapolis , bu t lac k direc t ai r servic e to Chicago , th e destinatio n o f choic e for

Siou x Cit y travelers . Th e Siou x Cit

y regio n i s sufferin g th e consequence s o f bein g a n undeisci-ve dmarket . Ai r servic e i s critica l t o a

n activ e busines s conununity , an dacces s to th e Chicag o marke t wil l creat e a

n atmosphere in wliic h regiona l businesse s andeducational entitie s ca n thrive , a s wel l a s enhancin g th e quality o f lif e fo r th e travelin g publi c i n th e tri-stat c region , includin g Soutl i Dakota . Th e appetit e fo

r accessin g ne w ai r

trave l market s i s exemplifie db y th e impressiv e loca l comniitnien l t o fundin g thi s effort . I t

i s m y hop e tha

t thi s initiativ e i s rewarde dwith suppor t fro mth e Departmen t

o f Transportation , an dI thank yo u i n advanc e fo

r you r thoughtfu l consideratio n o f thi s worthy app l ication . Sincerely , Stephani e Herset

h Sandli n Member o f Congres s SHS/mj c

SIOU X FALLS . S D 32 8 E . eTi i ST. . Su n 10 8 SIOU X FAUI , S D E710 3 PHON E (60S I 367-837 1 FA X 1605 ) 387-837 3 RAPI D CITV . S D 34 3 QUINC Y ST. , SUIT E 10 2 RAPI > CiTV . S D 5770 2 PHOS E 1605 ) 394-528 0 FA X 1605 ) 39<l.52e 2 ABERDEEN . S D 12 1 FounT H AVENU E SW . SUIT S 1 AwnofCN , S D 5740 1 PHOM E (605 ) 625-344 0 FA X 1605 ) 626-344 1 fPJNTf O Oh f ncCVCU O f-APEf t