### ( r

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f 

# ^LAKELAND : GO W B . FIELDS , Mayo r Augusts , 201 1 Th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n Unite d Sate s Department

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , SE , Washington , D.C . 20590 . T o WhomI

t Ma y Concern : A s Mayo r of th e Cit y o f Lakeland , I a

mplease d t o suppor

t Lakelan d Linder

Regiona l Airport' s grant

applicatio n fo

r th e Department

o f Transportation' s Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Development

Program . Th e Airpor

t serve s avita

l rol e in our

visio n fo r Lakelan d and fo

r th e surroundin g communitie s i n Pol k County . W e shar e th e Airport' s goa

l o f attractin g lo w cos t

commercia

l servic e to the regio n to foste r economi c growt

h and improv e qualit

y o f lif e option s fo

r th e citizen s in our community . W

e expec t tha t no t onl y wil l th e ai r

servic e provid e benefit s to ou r region , but

als o t o th e airport s tha

t wil l b e solicite d a s trave l destination s in th e nort h eas t an d mid wes t

region s o f

the country . Th e Ai

r Servic e progra

mtha t ha s bee n adopte d will focu s o n th e no n primar y airports , wher

e lo w cos t earner s ca

n capitaliz e o n the lowe

r infrastructur

e cost s to permi t

lowe r fare s fo r passenger s visitin g th e Central Florid aregion . Lakelan d Linder

Regiona l Airpor t i s th e firs t

Airpor t t o provid e commercial servic e i n th e count

y an d i t i s important

fo r thi s venture to b e successful . I t ha s only bee n a mont h sinc e the Airpor

t commence d servic e an d thi s ha s been amajo r accomplishment

fo r oiu

- cit y an d county . Marketin g will pla y avital rol e in the succes s o f

thi s program . W

e hav e committe d a

n additiona

l $200,00 0 fo

r th e upcomin g fiscal yea

r 201 2 whic h supplement s th e $206,00 0 w e expende d i n 2011 . Additiona l funding fro

mthi s gran

t woul d b e extremel y helpftil a s w e marke t no t only ne w servic e route s bu

t ane w Aiipor

t "Lakeland " t

o th e Commercia

l Passenger Industry . Lakelan d i s situate d between Orland o an d Tamp aan

d it s locatio n b

y the Pol k Parkwa y and Interstate 4 enable s eas y acces s t o an d fro mthe airpor

t wit h groun d transportatio n alternative s availabl e t o mov e themt

o their final destinatio n withi n Pol k County , o

r it s neighborin g Hillsboroug h and Orang e Counties . ~ a I —

., 9 K 3 m-ti:-,.- : r" ^ '-''— I 

### -f^o E m-^-J m

C/ J

22 8 S . Massachusett s Avenu e • Lakeland , Florid a 33801-501 2

Phon e 863/834-600 0 • www.lakelandgovne tAugusts , 201 1

Pag e 2 Th e Cit

y o f Lakelan d and Pol

k Count y als o ha s man

y attraction s and event s fo r visitor s to tak

e advantag e o f

whil e visitin g our

regio n an

d w e are committe d to providin g the bes t

customer servic e t o al l o f th e passenger s movin g throug h the terminal . Central Florid aha s been on e o f the hardes t

hi t area s sinc e the recession , an d th e increase d traffi c tha

t the Ai r Servic e woul d brin g to our regio n woul d b e no t

onl y extremel y beneficia

l t o thi s region , bu

t als o t o th e stat e throug h adde d touris t an d busines s travel . W

e believ e strongl y in promotin g Ai r Servic e t o Lakelan d Airpor

t an d expec t

th e economic , transportatio n and qualit y o f lif e benefit s t o b e importan t

t o th e recover

y o f th e region . I n closing . Lakelan d Linde r Regiona l Airpor t ha s jus t commence d Ai r

Servic e in Jun e 201 1 an d fro

mall report s ha s see n hig h passenger volumes . W

e hav e worke d closel y withi n ou

r city , count

y an d state to marke t

the Aiipor

t a s w e al l understan d th e vita l rol e i t wil l pla y i n ou r future . Marketin g i s critical a s w e launc h ne w servic e and th e city , count

y an d stat e ar e committe d t

o ensurin g thi s servic e i s successful ; however , additional marketin g investment s wil l pla y acritical aspec t

i n th e overal l succes s o f th e program . W

e hop e tha t yo u wil l conside r

our applicatio n fo

r thi s grant an d w e ca n ensure tha

t i f w e are grante d funding th e investment o f thes e fiinds wil l delive r a n excellen t

retiu' n no t only fo r ou r communit

y but als o to th e passenger s and th e citie s o f

origi n travellin g t o centra

l Florida . Kindes t regards . Go w B . Fields , Mayo r Cit y o f Lakelan d y^aJ4>K_

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