o 

ULS.D«partm«ntOf Assistant Secretary ' 200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

TVonSpOrtOtton Washington, DC 20590 

Office of the SecretarY 

of Transportation ^ .. ^ 

OCT 2 2 2010 

The Honorable Bobby Horton 

Mayor of West Columbia '^: 

West Columbia, SC 29171 - .f:^ 

Dear Mayor Horton; > :t^2^|tirj 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Columbia ^ -

Metropolitan Airport for a grant under the Small Community Air Service Development 

Program (Small Community Program). 

The Small Community Program was established to help smaller communities address air 

service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares and insufficient service. A 

total of $7 million will be available for grant awards in Fiscal Year 2010. Under the 

statute, the Department may use the funds to make a maximum of 40 grant awards each 

year, although no more than four may be to communities in the same State. In order to 

provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides significant flexibility in how the financial assistance 

may be used. 

On July 30, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in 

receiving a grant this year file their applications by August 27. As these grant requests 

are pending before the Department, I am sure you understand that 1 cannot comment on 

the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you, however, that the Department will 

give full consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2010-0124 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your 

interest in this program. If I can provide fiarther information or assistance, please feel 

free to call me. 

\Sincerely yours. 

kt^j-^usan L. Kurland 

/ / Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
.*•. - . 

M-l(Kn>.i()-(n)3 

City ofWest Columbia 

BridffnsBcat, Present and Fimire 

August 13,2010 

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR 

Bobby B. Horton, Mayor 

Ms. Susan Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for Aviation & International Affairs* X-I 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave. SE W88-324 

Washington, DC 20590 

Subject: Small Community Air Service Development Grant Application 

Docket OST-2010-0I24 

Columbia Metropolitan Airport-Columbia, SC 

Dear Ms. Kurland: 

As the Mayor of West Columbia, SC and tf'irequent air traveler, I strongly support the air 

service proposal detailed in the Small Community Air Service Development Program 

grant application. Comihercial air service at Columbia Metropolitan Airport plays a vital 

role in providing support to education, government, business, and leisure travel to/from 

the area. 

Future community growth of the Columbia community depends, in part, on the airport's 

ability to meet the needs of existing local businesses as well as companies considering 

Columbia as a location for theu* operations. The proposal to support improved air service 

will greatly improve our ability to remain competitive in the global marketplace, which is 

the basis for supportmg the local economy and altractrng new businesses and residents to 

the area. 

'Hie Columbia Metropolitan Airport has forged strong lies witli the business community 

to retain and improve local air service. Wc appreciate (he opportunity to expand that 

partnership to include the U.S. Department of Transportation tlirough the Small 

Community Air Service Development Program. 

Sincerely, 

Bobby Morton, Mayor, City of West Columbia, SC 

PaBar'4044 - WestColumbH^C29172-4044 (80Z) 939-8612 (phone)