# e

u s . Departmen t o f Ttronsportotio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

### ^iOPEaATfON S 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S

E Washington , D C 2059 0



### Th e Honorable Am

y Klobucha

r Unite d State s Senat

e Washington , DC 2051 0 Dea r Senato r Klobuchar : SE P 2 1 201 1

Than k yo u fo r you r letter supportin g th e proposa

l submittedby th e St . CloudRegiona l Airpor t fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m (Smal l Communit

y Program) . Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dto help smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dto high airfare s an dinsufficien

t service . Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e th e funds to mak

e amaximu

mo f 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although n o mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e t o communitie s in th e sam e State . I n orde r t o provide commimitie s wit

h latitud e in developing solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility i

n how th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen

t issue d a n orde r requesting tha

t communitie s intereste di

n receiving agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2 . A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understandtha

t I cannot commen t o n th e merit s o f an y particula r proposal . I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will giv e ful l consideratio n t o all proposal s tha t have bee n properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop

y of you r lette r an dthi s respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . If

I ca n provid e furthe r information o

r assistance , pleas e fee

l fi-ee t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours ,

AlohaLe y Associat e Director Smal l Communit

y Progra mAM Y KLOBUCHA R

MINNESOT

A COMMITTEES : AGRICULTURE . NUTRITION . AN D FORESTR Y COMMERCE , SCIENCE , AN D TRANSPORTATIO N JOIN T ECONOMI C COMMfrTE E

JUDICIAR Y 

# Bnitt d^m mSenat e WASHINGTON , D C 2051 0 Augus t 4 , 201 1 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretaiy , U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 40 0 Sevent

h Street , S.W . Washington , D.C . 2059 0 Re : St . Clou d Airpor

t Gran t Applicatio n - CFD A #20.93 0 Dea r Secretaty LaHood : I a mwritin g t o urg e you r

stron g consideratio n o f

th e proposal bein g submitte d b y th e St . Clou d Airpor t fo r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Development

Progra mgran t in th e amoun t

o f $750,000 . Th e gran t woul db e use dt o enhanc e ai r servic e in th e St . Clou d area . St . Clou dAirport

woul d us e th e Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Progra mt o rehabilitat e th e ai r

servic e i n th e St . Clou d area . I

n 2009 , regularl y schedule d ai r servic e i n S t Clou d wa s discontinue da t

great disadvantag e t o are abusinesses . Th e gran t wil l provid e th e St . Clou d Airpor t wit h th e fund s necessary t o reinstat e direc t ai r transportatio n service s t o th e resident s o f th e St . Clou d area . Th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Progra mgran t woul d hel p offset

startu p costs , pa

y fo r marketin g efforts , an d cove r an y cost s incurre d b y carrier s t o rejuvenat e th e St . Clou d are aai r service . I n additio n t o thes e importan t enhancements , thi s projec t wil l ensur e tha t

th e St . Clou d Airpor

t i s abl e t o provid e direct , affordabl e ai r transi t option s fo

r th e communitie s the y serve . A s amembe r

o f th e Committe e on Commerce , Science , an d Transportation , I understan d that a stron g transportatio n infrastructure i s invaluabl e t o th e economi c growt h o f aregion . Thi s proposa

l woul d ensur e tha t transportatio n availabl e t o th e resident s o f th e St . Clou d are awoul d b e o f th e highes t

leve l an d woul dimprov e th e economi c developmen t o f th e area . Ultimately , thi s proposal woul d help improv e th e quality o f lif e for citizen s throug h th e creatio n o f astronger transportatio n infrastructure . Fo r th e reason s above , I encourag e you r stron g consideratio n o f

thi s proposal . I f

yo u hav e an y question s o r

nee d additional information , pleas e contac t Gi aVitai i i n m

y Minnesot aoffic e at

(612 ) 727

- 522 0 o r b y emai l a t

gia_vitali@klobuchar.senate.gov .

Sincerely , 

# I c l 6-v-->^!^ ^ 

# 7

Am^^lobuc m Unitedstate s Senato r