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P.O . Bo x 46 8 • Pellston , M I • 4976 9 (231 ) 539-735 5 (phone ) • (231 ) 539-122 1 (fax ) jgillett1939@sbcglobal.ne t Departmen t

o f Transportatio n Attn : Denni s DeVan y • —•^l3!ipJf^

~ 1200Ne w Jerse y Ave. , S.E . - ^ =^55; ^ Washington , D.C. , 2059 0 - ^ S^Q P EAS@dot.gov J ^ ^"' ' - J

Ji mGillet t Mayor/President , Villag e o

f Pellsto n Pellston , M

I 4976 9 jgillettl939@sbcglobal.ne t Dea r Mr . DeVan

y an d DO T officials . A s mayo r o f th e Villag e o

f Pellston , I a

mgratefu l fo r th e opportunit

y t o offe r som e feedbac k t o yo u regarding Delt

aAirlines ' recen

t proposal s fo

r service.a t Pellsto n Regiona

l Airport . Ther

e ar e man y factor s t o conside r i n makin g thi s ver y importan

t decision abou

t whic h optio n bes t

suit s the airport , th e communit y an d Delt aAirlines . I have bee n th e Mayor/Presiden

t o f the Villag e o

f Pelhto n fo

r 1 3 years . I

n tha t time , I have ha

d auniqu e perspectiv e i

n watchin g the evolutio n o

f the communit

y an d the airport . PL

N ha s grow

n fro masmal l regiona l operatio n t

o aworld-clas s facilit

y connectin g peopl e an

d busines s i

n ou r globa l economy . We'v e experience d considerabl e investmen t i n the airport , fro

mth e county , stat

e an d federa l governments . I

n recen t years , th e investmen

t i n ou r community , too , ha s increased . I n fact , thi s summe

r w e celebrate d a ne w streetscape , ne

w businesse s an

d ne w resideftt s choosing Pellsto n a s hom

e bas e fo r busines s an

d famil y life . Thi s i s due i

n n o smal l par t t o the presenc e o

f Pellsto n Regiona

l Airport , whic

h provide s acritica

l lin k i n bot h the touris man

d commerc e chain s tha

t originat e fro mhere . Prio r t o becomin g Mayo r o f Pellston , I spen

t 3 0 year s working i

n th e airlin e industr

y an d gained a valuabl e perspectiv e regardin g schedule s an d frequencies . I

n reviewing the thre e servic e option s tha t Delt aha s submitted . Option 1 provide s the bes t leve l o f servic e fo r Pellston . I n contrast . Option 3 woul

d have a n extremel y detrimenta

l impact o n the airpor

t an d the community . A reductio n i n flight s t o on e pe r day , a t an y tim e o f the year , i s no

t aviabl e option . On

e o f the mos t obviou s reasons : Eve

n i f aircraf t maintenanc e an

d operation s wer

e 10 0 percen t certain , w e still have the weathe

rt o contend wit h i n Pellston . I

n th e las t coupl e years , dozen s o

f flight s hav e bee

n cancele d her

e due t o the weather . Fortunately , passenger s hav e ha d th e option o

f catchin g anothe

r fligh t onc e condition s improved . I f ther e wa s onl y on e fligh t aday , an d i t wa s canceled , passenger s woul d quickl y becom e disenchante d wit h flyin g fro mPellsto n an

d the y wil l see k othe r option s - an

d airlines . Thi s coul d hav e serious , negativ e impact s o

n the perceptio n o

f Pellsto n Regiona

l Airport , Pellsto n an

d Emme t County , an

d Delta Airlines . I fee l tha t the additiona

l subsid y cos t t o Delt afro mthe DO T t o provid e aminimu

mo f tw o flight s ada

y i s wort h th e investmen

t o f providing qualit

y ai r servic e t o loca l communitie s an

d the regio n a s awhole , whic h i s uniqu e i

n it s populatio n an

d businesses . Pellsto n Regiona l Airpor t serve s a n incredibl y divers e clientel e whic

h mirror s the communitie s i t serves , fro mresorter s i

n Petoskey , Ba

y Harbo r an d Mackina w Cit y t o thos e arrivin g fo

r getaway s o

n Drummon

d an d Mackina c Islands . W

e have folks runnin g multi

millio n dollar , internationa

l companie s fro

msceni c shoreline home s tha t rin g ou r area . Why ? Becaus e the y prefe r t o b e her e rathe r tha n anywher e else . Convenien

t transportatio n options , lik

e Pellsto n Regiona

l Airport , mak

e thei r investmen t i n Emme t Count y possible . A s the Mayo

r o f the smal l villag e o f Pellston , it' s m

y responsibilit

y t o suppor t m y communit

y an d advocat e fo r what' s bes t

fo r al l thos e wh

o liv e an d wor k here . While ou

r busies t seaso n ha s traditionally bee n i n the summe

r months , tha

t tren d i s changing . Ou

r count y i s hom e t o tw o o f the Midwest' s bes t

an d most popula r sk i resorts , Boyn

e Highland s an

d Nub' s Nob , whic

h continu e t

o grow . Ou

r park s an d recreatio n opportunitie s continu e t o develo p an d gain i n popularity , an

d peopl e ar

e no w mor e tha n eve r abl e t o choos e wher

e the y live instea

d o f wher e the y hav e t o work , thank s t o technology an d transportatio n option s lik

e nearb y commercia

l airports . I n fact , the most

recen t 201 0 Censu s showed Northwes t Michiga n a s on e o f jus t afe w spot s i n th e stat e o f Michiga n tha t ar e seeing g^in s i

n populatio n a s resident s see k the shoreline communitie s o f Emme t Count y t o live , wor k an d play . Thi s trend alone help s t o prov e the necessit

y an d futur e viabilit y o f a robus t airpor t an d reliable , regula

r commercia

l ai r servic e a t Pellston . Than k yo u fo r you r tim e an d consideration . I

f I ca n provid e an y furthe r detail s abou

t ou r communit y o r ou r airport , pleas e don' t

hesitat e t o contac t me . Sincerely , Ji mGillet t (231)330-108 4 cc : Kevi n Adams kevinadams@dot.gov