### ^ US.Departmen t o f Assistan t Secretar y120 0 Ne wJerseyAvenue , SE minsportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

### Septembe r 9 , 201 1



### Th e Honorabl e Ernest o Olivare s I - J 

### Mayo r o f Sant aRos ac o Sant aRosa , C A 9540 4 Dear Mayo r Olivares : Thank yo u for you r lette r t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g th e proposa l submitte db y th e County o f Sonom aan dth e Charles M
. Schulz-Sonom aCounty Airport fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Community Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Progra m(Smal l Communit y Program)
. Th e Secretary ha s aske dtha t I respon do n hi s behalf
. Th e Smal l Commimity Progra mwa 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 hairfare s an dinsufficien t service. Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen t may us e th e fund s t o mak e amaximu mo f 4 0 gran t award s eac hyear , althoug hn o mor e tha n fou r may b e t o communitie s i n th e sam e State
. I n orde r t o provid e communitie s withlatitud e i n developin g solution s t o thei r ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut e provide s significan t flexibility i n ho w th e financial assistanc e may b e used
. O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen t issue da n orde r requestin g tha t

communitie s intereste di n receivin g agran t

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

2
. A s thes e gran t

request s ar e pendin g befor e th e Department , I amsur e yo u understan dtha t I canno t commen t o n th e merit s o f an y particular

proposal
. I assur e you , however , tha t th e Departmen t

wil l giv e full consideratio n t o al l proposal s that hav e bee n properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I amplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outside th e recor do f

thi s matter . I appreciat e you r interes t i n thi s program . I f

I can provid e further

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel free t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours , —-co" 3



### Susan L
. Kurlan d Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

# Cit y o f

ERNEST O OLIVAR B
lAKF.OUR S Vic e Mivo r SC:OT r BARTl.H Y •SLWA N GOIU N lO l I N SAWYR

R MARSH A VAiiULU'RE CiARYWYSOCK

Y Jul y19,201 1 Th e Honorabl e Ra

yLaHood , Secretar

yo f Transportatio n U S Departmen t o f Transportatio n 40 0 Sevent h Street , SW , Suit e 1020 0 Washington , D

C 2059 0 RE : Doclce t OST-2009-Q149 Dea rSecretar

yLaHood : W e hav e learne d tha t th e Count yo f Sonom a ha s applie d t o th e DO Tfo ra Smal l Communit yAi rServic e Developmen t Progra m Grant

. ! a m writin g t o yo u i n suppor t o f thei rapplication

. Currently , wit h limite d loca l airlin e services , trave l i s a majo rinconvenienc e an d expense . I t als o add s t o th e alread ysignifican t traffi cburde n o n th e area' s highwa ysystem
. Th e additio n t o th e schedul e o f a n easter n destinatio n lik e Denve rwoul d greatl yimprov e ou r ai rtrave l options

. W e strongl ysuppor t th e ongoin g effort s o f th e Count yo f Sonom a an d th e loca l busines s community , t o increas e airlin e servic e a t th e Charle s M

. Schulz/Sonom a Count yAirport , s , Californi a Stat e University , communit ygroup s fro m al l th e surroundin g counties , an d variou s airline s ar e al l participatin g i n thi s importan t effort

. Th e Sonom a Count yBoar d o f Supervisor s i s strongl ysupportin g thi s partnershi p effort

. The yeve n investe d genera l fun d mone yt o develo p airlin e service

. I t i s importan t fo ryo u t o kno wtha t airlin e servic e wil l benefi t man ypeopl e an d communitie s beyon d Sonom a County

. Th e adjoinin g countie s o f Lake , Mendocino , Napa , an d Mari n wil l benefi t greatl yfro m increase d airlin e servic e i n Sant a Rosa

. I t use d t o tak e a t leas t tw o hour s t o driv e t o Ba yAre a airports

. Now , becaus e o f increase d highwa y congestion , th e sam e tri p takes a minimu m o f thre e o rmor e hour s a t mos t time s o f th e day

. I t i s muc h wors e fo rpeopl e livin g i n th e man yrura l an d smal l communitie s tha t ar e two-plu s hour s beyon d Sant a Rosa

. Pleas e hel p u s improv e an d expan d airlin e servic e b yawardin g a Smal l Communit yAi r Servic e Developmen t Progra m Gran t t o Sonom a County

. Sincerely ,

ERNEST O OLIVARE S Mayo r OfVicco f t h Mavo i f:\COUNCIL\Mayor\Srnal l communit yai rservic e grant.do c 10 0 Sant a Ros a Avenu e - Roo m 1 0 • .S.int a Rosa , C A9S-<0' I Phone : ("07 ) :i4v?0I 0 • Fax : (707 ) S43-503 0

\vvvw.srtay.orj

j