!-\ i TH E FLORID ASENAT E COMMITTEES : Crimina l Justice , Chai r Tallahassee
. Florid a 32399-110 0 ^PoT yan d sTeerin g ^"'^''""' ' ^" ' ' \i';'•', /
. . 1 Environmenta l Preservatio n an d Conservatio n

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' } Socia l Responsibility- Polic yan d steerin g i.j , "Vj •*.•" • ., ' ' • ' Transportatio n ' \ cA ••'.'•" , i n '*' /

Transportatio n an d Economi cDevelopmen t '
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SELEC TCOMMITTEE : Florida' s Inlan d Waters SENATO R PAUL A DOCKER Y JOIN TCOMMITTEE :

15t h Distric t ''"'"'• = ^°""=^ ' o^s's's w Augus t l8 , 201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secietai y U
. S
. Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 40 0 7t hStreet , S WRoo m1020 0 Washington , D C 2059 0 Dear Secretar y LaHood ; I a mplease dt o suppor t

Lakelan dUnde r

Regiona l Airport' s gran t applicatio nfo r

th e U.S
. Departmen t

of Transportation' s Smal l Communit}'Ai r Sende e Developmen t Program
. I als o suppor t th e Airpoit' s goa l o f

attractin g lo w far e commercia l sende e t o th e regio ni norde r

t o foste r economi c growt han dimprov e qualit y o f lif e option s fo r

th e citizen s i n ou r

community
. Th e presenc e of alo w far e carrie r

woul dpla y apivota l role ' i nth e futur e gro\\'t hof

th e Lakelan dan dPolk

Count)'
. Bothth e Cit) ' of

Lakelan dan dth e Florid aDepartmen t o f Transportatio n(FDOT ) hav e recognize dth e importanc e o f th e airpor t

t o th e region
. Th e Citj ' i s investin g ove r $1. 4 millio no ninfrastructur e project s i n preparatio nfo r commercia l sendee
. Additionally , th e Cit> ' proxdde s polic e an dfire sendee s a t n o cos t t o th e airport , sa\dn g ove r $450,00 0 annuall y fro mth e rat e bas e whic hcarrier s woul dotherv\ds e hav e t o pay . I nAugus t 2010 , FDO T grante dth e airpor t $2. 0 millio nt o fun dth e improvement s necessar y t o accommodat e schedule dflight operations ; thes e includ e ticketin g areas , baggag e claim , baggag e make-u p areas , steril e areas , th e securit> ' checkpoint , acces s controls , CCTV , additiona l facility ' squar e footage , an doffice s fo r Transportatio nSecuritj ' Administratio n (TSA ) personnel
. Lakelan dLinde r

Regiona l Airpor t

currentl y operate s unde r aPar t 13 9 Certificat e an di s completin g it s work

wAX hTSA
. Lakelan dLinde r Regiona l Airpor t

wdl l b e i napositio nt o launc hit s commercia l progra mi n th e beginnin g of 2611
. Lo w far e sende e t o Lakelan d woul dbenefi t

no t onl y ou r region , bu t

als o thos e smal l communitie s wher e th e flight s ^^^l l operate , pro\ddin g thos e citie s wdt hth e economi c benefi t

of stimulate dai r

trave l an d lowe r airfares
. Th e fund s fro mth e gran t wil l b e use dexclusivel y a t non-primai y REPL YTO : a Post Offic e Bo

x2395 , Lakeland
. Florid a 33806-239 5 (863 ) 413-290 0 Tol l Free : 1-866-248-648 7 a 30 2 Senat e Offic e Building
. 40 4 Sout h Monro e Street
. Tallahassee
. Florid a 32399-110 0 (850 ) 487-504 0 Senate' s Website : vmv/.flsenale.go v JEF F ATWATE R MIK E FASAN O Presiden t o f tfi e Senat e Presiden t Pr o Tempor eAugus t

18 , 201 0 Pag e 2 airports , wher e lo w far e carrier s ca ncapitaliz e o nth e lowe r infrastructur e cost s t o permi t lo\ve r fare s fo r passengers . Lakelan di s locate dbetwee n th e majo r metropolita ncenter s of Orland o an dTamp a alon g th e Interstate- 4 Corridor
. Lakelan di s adesignate dsto p o nth e Hig hSpee dRai l syste mcurrentl y unde r

development , an di s sense db y majo r U.S
. an dStat e highways , includin g th e convenien t loo p expressway , S R57 0 (Pol k ParkwajO , \vhic hwil l enabl e eas y acces s t o an dfro mth e Airport
. Thes e groun dtransportatio nalternative s ar e availabl e t o mov e ai r

traveler s fro mth e Lakelan dLinde r Regiona l Airpor t

t o thei r final destination s wdthi n Pol k Count}' , o r

t o neighborin g Hillsboroug han dOrang e Counties
. Lakelan di s v\dthin a n hour' s driv e o f th e popula r

touris t destination s o f

th e Tamp aBa

y Suncoas t an dth e Greate r

Orland o are amajo r

them e parie s Wal t

Disne y Worl dan d Universa l Studios
. Marketin g mone y fro mth e gran t wdl l b e use dno t

onl y t o rais e awarenes s abou t

Lakeland' s eas y acces s t o Orland o an dTampa , bu t als o t o establis h Polk Count y a s aconvenien t

an daffordabl e lodgin g alternativ e fo r tourist s washin g t o tak e advantag e o f

bot hdestinations
. Thi s wdl l significantl y enhanc e hotel , renta l car , restauran t

an dloca l attractio n revenu e fo r th e region , a s wel l a s pro\dd e greatl y neede d emploj'men t

opportunities
. Centra l Florid aha s bee n on e o f th e hardes t

hi t area s i nth e natio nb y th e economi c recession , an dth e increase dtraffi c tha t th e Ai r Sende e woul dbrin g woul db e extremel y beneficia l no t

onl y t o thi s Region , bu t als o t o th e Stat e o f

Florid athroug hadde dtouris t an dbusines s trave l a s wel l a s jo b creatio nan dsustainability
. I therefor e strongl y suppor t Lakelan dLinde r

Regiona l Airport' s inclusio ni nth e Smal l Communit y Air Servic e Developmen t

Progra mbecaus e o f

it s importanc e t o th e economi c recover y o f th e Region
. War mRegards ,

Paul aDockei y Florid aSenate , Distric t

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