U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary ofTransportation

The Honorable Casey Kozlowski Ohio House ofRepresentatives Columbus, OH 43215
Dear Mr. Kozlowski: Assistant Secretary July 3, 2012 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590

Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretary has requested that I respond on his behalf.
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 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 flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded.
On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interestedin receiving a grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany particular proposal. 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. !·appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs(J'OJlJJ.IJil!iWi!.

-Ag-ricu**lttm~ ~**  t!lli·.'U><..**l~t9·** ·rmr.Jifl{l,£ Ohk.: 61·-.;J0-I·o-; Toi!-Fhc; .·too··2f..**;-o;~s3** Fax; 614-719-3967 Email: d!strict99@ohr.stnte.oh.us -Education -\'icc Chainnan of Transportation, Public Safety, and Homeland Security



### Casey Kozlowski State Representative, 991.h House District

June 

### 6, 2012
The 

### Honorabl.e Ray 

### LaHood Secretary 

### ofTransportation U.S. Department ofTransportation · 400 

### 7'11 Street, 

### SW, Room 6401 Washington, DC 20590


### Dear Secretary LaHood:
As State Representative 

### ofthe 99111 House District 

### ofOhio, I am \-vriti11g in 

### support for the**··YouJfgstown~Warr!!n** 

### Regional**Airpores:g~ant** application 

### for**funding.~in9.er** theSmall 

### Conti1mnity Air 

### Service 

### Development Program DOT-OST-2012-0069. T11ese funds**ar~** critical 

### to set

# in**n:'~tion** 

### the A,irport's pr9poscd Passenger Service Enhancement.Stratcgy 

### to**reest~blish** regularly scheduled 

### comrnerciai air 

### sct"Vice in 

### the**Youngstown-Warren:-Shafon'metrop~litan** service area. This advancement would**~;.rt·eatly** aid in the 

### economic outlook ofOhio residents. ., During the past 1.5 years, the Airport 

### has received in excess of$60 

### million fi·om federal, state, and local government 

### agencies for capital improvements. 

### The local 

### community has formed 

### a vital partnership ofgovernments and private 

### organizations and businesses through the creation of the Westem Reserve 

### Port Authority. \qtich ov.ns and manages (he 1\.i!l'ort. Although the

. community 

### is strongly 

### supporthe ofthe Airport, the lack ofcompetiti,.·e 

### pr-icing and quality air ::ll!.f\·kes inthe past 

### has no\\**cau~ed** the Ailport to be undcrutilizcd and**l~o~ ~esulted**  in the 800,000·residents of

### Eastern Ohio and \\'estern**Pcru1~yh·ania** to driYe to Cleveland or Pittsburgh for their air travel t1eeds. In addition, larger airports now require an additional one 

### to two hours for air travelers to secure parking and check through security systems. 'll1c success ofother regional 

### aiq)orts such as Akron-Camon clearly demonstrates that there is 

### a viable place for small to midsize airports in the aviation industry. With the 

### assistance ofthis**gram~** the Airport would be able to offer superior 

### air services at lower costs 

### to the community and would contribute 

### greatly to securing the future ofthe 

### Airport. •' Congress developed this program specifically to help communities like the Y 

### mmgstovm-WarrenSharon metropolitan service nrca improve their business climate, spm· economic development,

w\vw.house.stnte.oh.us 77 S. High Street, Columbus, Ohio**43215-61~1**.. S10-120622-001Committees; -Agriculture Contactlqfqnnation: Office: 614-466-1405 Toll-Free: 1-Soo-282·0253 Fax: 614-719-3967 Email: district99@ohr.state.oh.us -Education -Vice Chailman ofTranspottation, Public Safety, und Homeland Security



### Casey 

### Kozlowski StateRepresentative, 99th House District



### and enhance the quality oflife through the development ofair sen·ice. The Youngstown-WarrenSharon metropolitan service area is the most concentrated manufacturing region in Ohio but has
one ofthe highest unemployment rates. As the Airport is a critical component ofthe community's economic development strategy, failure to redevelop air 

### service 

### will only impede
our ability to attract and ret8.in employers to our community. Therefore, it is imperative**th~t** 

### our Airport is successful in securing funding under the Small Community Air Service Development Program. I would support and appreciate your positive consideration ofthe proposal for a Small Community Air Service Development Program grant for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport and the**communi~y** it**s~rves.**

,..

. ;., .: .· ::•.. ··;: 

### Sincerely,



## -**·~** ...........

# ~~ Casey Kozlowski State Representative 991 h 

### House District of.Ohio

. 

### ... ...**,~·**



# .. . 

### ......

' 

### '

www.housc.state.oh.us 77 S.-High Street, Columbus, Ohio**43215~6111**



### ..**S10~120622~UlJ1** 

### .,

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