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US . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Assistan t Secretar y 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

y 

### o f Transportatio

n September 9 , 201 1

C O r-VO r 

### Th e Honorable Jonatha

n Weinzapfe

l Mayo r of Evansvill e Evansville , I

N 47708-183 3 ^" ^ rn^ ^ 

## > S^ ^ Dea r Mayo r Weinzapfel : -. 9 '^r^-7^'" ^ Than k yo u fo r you r lette r t o Secretar y LaHoodsupportin g th e proposa l submitte d6

y the Evansville-Vanderburgh Airpor t Authorit y Distric t fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Small Communit

y Program) . Th

e Secretar y ha s asked tha

t I respondo n hi s behal f Th e Smal l Communit

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

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

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

t ma y us e the funds t

o mak e amaximu

mof 4 0 gran t award s each year , although n o mor e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s in th e sam e State . I n orde r t o provide communitie s wit

h latitude i n developin g solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility i

n ho w th e financia

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

t issue d a n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste din receivin g agran

t thi s yea r file their application s by 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 understan dtha

t I canno t commen t on th e merit s of an y particula r proposal . I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will giv e fiill consideratio n t

o all proposal s tha

t have bee n properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacing acop

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

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

e you r interes t in thi s program . I

f I ca n provid e furthe r information o

r assistance , pleas e fee

l fi-ee t o call me . Sincerel y yours .

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an

dInternationa

l Affair s'^i:^C \ S I 0-110808-03 0 

# CW T CIT Y O F EVANSVILL E ON E N.W . MARTI N LUTHE R KING . JR . BLVD . •ROO M 30 2 OFRCeOFTMEMAVO

W EVANSVILLE , INDIAN A 47708- 1 83 3 JONATHA N WEINZAPFE L <812 ) 436-406 S • FA X (812 ) 430-496 8 •TDO/TT Y (812 ) 436-492 8 www.EvanuvilleGo v or g Augus t 1,201 1

Th e Honoiabl e RayiiK») d H . LaHcKx l ^cr^ ^ oflVanspoctatiO D V.S . Depanmstt t

o f Tfanspoftatio n 40 0 Sevent

h Street , S W Washington , D.C . 2059 0 Desu

- Secretary LaHood : O n behal f o f th e Cil y o f

Evansville , I amwritin g t o expr^ s ray suppor t fo r th e Smal l Coramunity Ai r

Servic e I>evelopmen t

Gran t (SCASDG ) applicatio n submitte d b y th e Evaisville-Vmideiburg h AiriKtf t Authority District . A vibran t aiipor t with goo d ai r savi( » i s importan t

t o re^ona l tsislnes s an d vita l t o th e health y growt h o f th e loca l community . A s such , w e n€» d mor e efficien t an d firesquent

ai r txmspotmio n i n an d ou t o f th e Evansvill e Regiona l AirptMt . In f&osn t years , HM S airline s hav e scale d teck serv!< » i n respons e t o th e reo^ion , makin g everyday busines s travel : increasingl y riifiRcuit. Thmg b ou r commuiul ^ ha s take n a proacdv e approdich t adoiti ^ iHisines s intemati^aUy i w e ar e experiencin g fewe r an d fewer flint s i n an d ou t

olEvansville , makin g ithanjlerfo r U3i%!matk}n;a

d visit(» ^ t o trave l t o o w region. Tli e l^ k

o f avaiMjl e flights an d limite d numbe r o f carrier s hav e aJs o incieas« } loca

d f^e s t o tl ^ poin t

tha t man y p&aph

i ^r % force d t o driv e two-to-dire e iKmr s on e way t o fly out

o f <Ahe r airports . Thi s gran t wcwld giv e ou r

airport managemen t

avaluabl e too l t o sel l ou r communit y t o ne w tMit^ , pattic^ari y withi n th e Star Alliance , s o that

we^pea r

mth e intematltma l map . Addin g aCK

W carrie r wi U als o hel p fertng fare s dow n t o amm e manageabl e level , thu s sUmulatin g th e loca l trave l mari ^ an d iKjlstering ou r loca l eccKKMny

. Thank yo u fo r you r tim e an d ttaoughtAil (xinsldoation . t Sinc«ely , jfonatba n Weinzapfe l v- /

. . : , ; •.; , , Mayo r 

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