# d

US . Departmen t o f 120 0 Ne wJerse yAvenue , S

E iransportcmo n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O fth e Secretar

ySE P 2 0 201 1 o f Tfansportafio n "b ; 

### Th e Honorabl e Sea nP . Duff y 'r- > '-^^ ^ U.S . Hous e o f

Representative s . po^zs : Washington , DC 2051 5 ^ " =^ o

_ 0 :-J^- n 

### Dea r Congressma nDuffy : O J 

### Than k yo u fo r you r lette r supportin g th e proposa l submitte db y th e Cit y o f Rhinelande r an dCount y o f

Oneid afo 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 dt o hel p smalle r commvmitie 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 ma y 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 nfou r ma y b e t o communitie s i nth e sam e State . I norde r t o provid e communitie s wit hlatitud e i ndevelopin g solution s t o thei r ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut e provide s significan t flexibility i nho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used . O nJul y 1 , th e Departmen t

issue da norde r

requestin g tha t

communitie s intereste di n receivin g agran t

thi s yea r 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 a msur e yo u understan dtha t I caimo t commen t o nth e merit s o f an y particula r

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

wil l giv e ful l consideratio nt o al l proposal s tha t hav e bee nproperl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a mplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i nDocke 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 nthi s program . I f

I ca nprovid e furthe r

informatio no r

assistance , pleas e fee l fi-ee t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours .

Aloh aLe y Associat e Directo r Smal l Communit y Progra m(2H S si:Ai \ -11 1 lUs l « W^Ml l

.. ' )••; ( ,\\ i >i< n \\'iisHlN(.;i ' I'M ' )\K . \-\\ . 1 I'lLl.-h^ l 1 J\T)J(.MHJ P

Kl i

H N . 3 1

- I H FI T

. \ ^ (s< . )^-i \ • '.>\01|| , 1

- Tst . (.)|ii . r

B i ] M |i< : jn-,i^_nj( r -.K^S-S^S—(.i^ I Liu}'h'.i]*m.se,^") \ 

# Congres s of

th e Unite dState s Hous e o f Representative s Washington , D C 20515-490 7

Augus t 1,201 1 Aloh aLey , Associat e Director Smal l Community Ai r

Servic e Developmen t

Progra m Unite dState s Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Dear Ms . Ley : I amwritin g t o expres s m y support fo r an applicatio n submitte db y th e Rhinelander-Oneid a County Airport

(RHI ) for

aSmal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Grant , whic hwil l b e use dfor defrayin g start u p cost s associate dwithne w airlin e servic e a t th e airport . Earlier thi s year , airport

managemen t

wa s notifie dthat , effectiv e Septembe r 5 , 2011 , Delt a Airline s woul db e eliminatin g schedule dservic e at th e Rhinelande r

facility . Althoug hservic e i s offere db y anothe r

carrier , th e schedul e limitation s o f thi s carrie r

hav e bee n foun db y man y traveler s t o b e unattractiv e and , consequently , decision s ar e bein g mad e t o originat e ai r trave l ou t

o f facilitie s othe r tha n RHI . Althoug hth e economi c impact s ar e unknow n at thi s time , i t

i s anticipate dthat

thi s majo r gap i n servic e wil l ultimatel y hav e adetrimenta l impac t o n th e loca l economy . I hav e bee n advise db y Airport Manage r Jo e Braue r

tha t asourc e o f

servic e ha s bee n identifie dwhic hwil l link RH I wit hChicago-O'Har e (ORD) . Th e opportunit y t o lin k OR D hu b carrier s Unite do r

America n wil l provid e amuc hmor e attractiv e optio n t o traveler s an dhel p t o ensur e acontinuit y o f

quality ai r

servic e originatin g fro mRHI . Du e t o m y interes t

i n thi s application , I woul dappreciat e bein g kep t informe do f

an y developments . Pleas e direc t an y correspondenc e t o m e at m y Distric t Constituen t

Service s Cente r locate da t 20 8 Gran dAvenue , Wausau , W I 54403 . Shoul dyo u hav e an y question s o r requir e an y additiona l information , pleas e d o no t hesitat e t o contac t my Outreac hDirector , Kevi n Jenkins , a t (715 ) 298-934 4 o r

b y e-mai l at kevin.jenkins@mail.house.gov . Onc e again , I amplease dt o expres s my support for thi s application . Sincerely , (: < iMMiTii:!- : < ), N -- - UNANCIA L SFKXICK S / S I i n ( .MMin i l ^ / ii < i-ss i M l l i ( 1(1- 1 > l I i\s l KAMT , (l « (iMNi , \M > <.' • 1M\J I Nll^ ' < >l'r i IKTI.VI I ^ ' jOIN- r EC.ONOMK . COMMnTEF .

Sea n P . Duff

y Membe r o f Congress SPD/k j WAMSA M 20 8 GH.1M J A\i:NLr . \VACJ-.AI' . W I '•^^l) } (yi'i ) 298-9,m ' • FAX : (715 ) 29K-934 H PRlNltl ) U N REOCLEI ) I'AI'F R