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us . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Offic e o f Th

e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n Assistan t Secretar y 

### SE P 0 9 ZOl t 120 0 Ne w JerseyAvenue , S E Wasliington , D C 2059 0

Mr . Jerem y L . Shifflet

t Chairma n August aCounty Boar do f Supervisor s August aCount y Governmen t Cente r P.O . Bo x 59 0 Verona , V A 24482-059 0 Dea r Mr . Shifflett : - a C O \ > r o - \ ^ 6- 3

Than k yo u for you r lette r t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g th e proposa l submitte db y th e Shenandoah Valley Regiona l Airport Commissio n fo

r agran t unde r th e Smal l Community Ai r

Servic e Developmen t

Progra m(Smal l Communit y Program) . Th e Secretary ha s askedtha t

I ^spon do n hi s behal f Th e Smal l Communit y Progra mwas establishe dt o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s ai r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dt o hig h airfare 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 h year , althoug h n o mor e tha n four may b e t o communitie s i n th e sam e State . I n orde r t o provid e communitie s with latitud e i n developin g solution s t o thei r ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut e provide s significan t flexibility i n ho w th e financial assistanc e may b e used . O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen t issue da n orde r

requestin g that

communitie s intereste di n receivin g agran t

thi s year 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 amsur e yo u understan dtha t I canno t commen t o n th e merit s o f an y particular

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

wil l giv e fiill consideratio n t o al l proposal s tha t hav e bee n properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I amplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n Docke 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 n thi s program . I f

I ca n provid e further

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e fee l free t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours .

Susan L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

### SlO-110722 - COUNT

Y O F AUGUSTA , VA . BOAR D O F SUPERVISOR S LAHR Y C . HOWDYSHEL l GERAI D W . 6ARBE R Nort h Rive rMiddl e Rive r TRAC Y C . PYLE5 , JR . WENDEL L L. COLEMA N Pasture s JEREM

Y M . SHIFFLET

T Wayn e Beverle y Mano r NANC Y TAYLO R SORREI S DAVI D E . BEYLE R '''^?~£»^ ^ PATRIC Ki . COFFIEL D - COUNT Y ADMINISTRATO R Riverhead s Sout h Rive rAUGUST A COUNT Y GOVERNMEN T CENTE R P.O . BO X 590 , VERONA , V A 24482-059 0 (540 ) 245-561 0 FA

X (540 ) 245-552 1 coadmin@co.augusta.va.u s 11-08 7 Jul y13 . 201 1 Ra y LaHoo d Secretar yo f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse yAv e S E Washington , DC 2059 0 Dea rSecretar

yLaHood : I a m writin g t o yo u toda yo n behal f o f th e Count yo f Augusta , whic h i s on e of th e fiv e membershi p jurisdiction s tha t create d th e Shenandoa h Valle yRegiona l Airpor t Commission . W e strongl ysuppor

t th e Gran t Applicatio n before th e Departmen t of Transportatio n byth e Shenandoa h Valle yRegiona l Airpor t Commissio n unde rth e Smal l Communit yAi rServic e Developmen t Program . W e valu e th e man ybenefit s o f ou rregiona l airpor t an d have investe d significantl yi n it s developmen t ove rth e years . Th e Airpor t i s critica l t o th e economi c vitalit yo f ou rregio n an d it s future . Ou rcommunitywa s dramaticall yimpacte d i n th e month s an d year s followin g Septembe r11 , 2001 . Prio rt o 200 1 ou rcommunit yha d prove n tha t give n th e viabl e an d economica l access , i t ca n sustai n unsubsidize d ai rservice . Recentl you rincumben t ai rcarrier , Colga n Air , introduce d Unite d Expres s sen/ic e t o Washingto n Dulle s Internationa l Airport . Thi s ne w servic e ha s brough t greatl yimprove d fare s alon g wit h improve d connectivityfo rou rpassengers . Colga n als o upgrade d th e aircraft use d i n th e market . Thi s represent s th e firs t substantiv e improvemen t i n ou r servic e i n man yyears . Initia l respons e t o thi s chang e ha s bee n ver yfavorable ; however , ou rchalleng e as a communit yi s t o communicat e thi s improvemen t i n ai rservice , fare s an d equipment . T o overcom e th e pas t seve n years o f les s tha n desirabl e service , a n aggressive , sustaine d marketin g campaig n i s neede d t o adequatel ycommunicat e thi s positiv e change . Th e cos t o f implementin g suc h a progra m exceed s availabl e loca l resources .22-01 1

Ra y LaHoo d Jul y 13 . 201 1 Pag e 2 Shoul d th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n awar d a gran t t o th e Shenandoa h Valle y Regiona l Airpor

t Commission , w e fee l strongl ytha t i t woul d resul t i n improve d passenge rtraffic , increase d revenu e fo rth e carrie ran d lesse n o rpossibl yeliminat e ou r community' s relianc e fo rsubsid yunde rth e Essentia l Ai rServic e Program . Than k yo u i n advanc e fo ryou rconsideratio n o f thi s application .

Jerem yL . Shifflett Chairma n PJC/jts cc ; August a Count

yBoard o f Supervisore Patric k J . CofTield , Count

yAdministrato r Gre g Campbell , Executiv e Director , Shenandoa h Valle yRegiona l Airpor t

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