U.S.Depanlnentof 

### Transportallian Officeof

### the&em'erary otTranspodUioo



### The Honorable Anthony,DeBone · Commissioner·. Board ofCounty Commissioners Suite 200 1300 NW Wall Street Bend, OR 97701-1960 DearMr. PeBone: 

## JUL 52·012 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590



### Thank youforyour letter, cosigned by your colleague, supporting the proposal submitted by Redmond Municipal Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 awards inay 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 flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded. On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment onthe merits ofany particularproposal. I assure you that the Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours, 

## /\f)**~~u**

# ~_e:v\ 

# --2f Aloha Ley Associate Director Small Community Program



# ........---------- ...May 30,2012

Aloha Ley Associate Director, Small Community Prowam Office ofAviation Analysis US Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE WBB-310 Washington, DC 20590 1300 NW Wall St, Suite 200 • Bend, OR 97701-1960 [541) 388"6570 • Fsx [541) 385-3202 www.co.deschutes. or.us board@co.deschutes.or.us Tammy Baney Anthony DeBone Alan Unger

Subject: Small Community A1r Service Developmem,pf'(l)gram DocketDOT ·OST -2012..006i Cillrof..._.ld,OR-RedlnoeldMIIIiicipiiMpud Dear Ms. ley: It is with greatpleasurethatthe Deschutes County Board of Commissioners submitsihis letter of strong supportforthe air service proposal detailed in the City of Redmond's Small Community Air Service Development Program grant application. Businesses in Central Oregon depend on nonstop service to southern California. As our community continuesto grow and more visitors are drawn to this unique region, our limited transportation options will be further strained unless service is expanded at Redmond Municipal Airport
.

.As you eval!Jate the merits ofthis.application, l en.coJJrage you to consider how critically important air service is to Central Oregon. The Central Oregon region has been hit hard by the recent recession, with unemployment continuing to hoverbetween 13-15%. With high speed internet we havethe opportunityto support a number of careers remotely from our region. The Airport is a vital partnerto our economic advancement in Central Oregon, growth in air service is an important component in this equation. We are pleased to havethe opportunity to support this grant application. Sincerely,

Enlwncing ·the Lizi{'S ofCiti::.ens by Dcfhwring Quaiiflt SerPices in aCost·-E.f(ecfiue Manner