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### ''^"RATI" ' 120 0 Ne w JerseyAvenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 ': • O 

### SE P 2 1 201 1 Th e Honorable Rober

t G . Ort t Mayo r o f Nort h Tonawand a Nort h Tonawanda , N

Y 1412 0 Dea r Mayo r Ortt : Than k yo u fo r you r letter supporting the proposa

l submittedby th e NiagaraCount y Departmen t of Economi c Developmen

t fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Service Developmen

t Progra m(Small Communit

y Program) . Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dto hel

p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularly issue s relate dt o high airfare s an

dinsufficien

t service . Unde r the statute , th e Departmen t ma y us e the funds t

o mak e amaximu

mof 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although n o mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s i

n the sam e State . I n orde r t o provide communitie s wit

h latitude i n developing solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , the statut

e provide s significan

t flexibilit y i n ho w th e financia

l assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 1 , the Departmen

t issueda n orde r requesting tha

t communitie s intereste din receiving agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2 . A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understandtha

t I cannot commen t on the merit s of an y particula r proposal . I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t wil l giv e ful l consideratio n t

o al l proposal s tha

t hav e bee n properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop

y of you r lette r an dthi s respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontact outside the recor

do f thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t in thi s program . I

f I ca n provide furthe

r information o

r assistance , pleas e fee

l free to cal l me . Sincerel y yours , 

## v \ AlohaLe y Associat e Director Smal l Commimit

y Progra mCIT Y O FNORT H TONAWAND A 

# 1

ROBER T G . ORT T

Jul y 28 , 201 1 Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s S** " Floor , Roo m W86-31 0 120 0 Ne w Jerse yAve. , S E Washington , D

C 2059 0 Re : Niagar a Count yCente rfo rEconomi c Developmen t Smal l Communit yAi rServic e Developmen t Progra m Gran t Applicatio n T o Who m I t Ma yConcern : O n behal f o f th e Company/Person , I a m writin g i n stron g suppor t o f th e Niagar a Count y Cente r fo rEconomi c Developmen t (NCCED) applicatio n t o th e US Departmen t o f Transportatio n Smal l Communit yAi rServic e Developmen t Progra m (SCASDP) . Th e NCCE D propose s t o reques t fund s designe d t o provid e financia l assistanc e t o hel p enhanc e ai rservic e operation s an d marketin g o f th e Niagara Fall s Internationa l Airpor t (NFIA) . Th e NFI A i s a n attractiv e alternativ e t o currentl y congeste d majo rNort h America n Internationa l airports . Wit h it s 10,82 5 ft . mai n runway , 24-hou roperatio n (n o curfews) , 2 4 hr . operation s services , excellen t acces s t o inspectio n agencies , an d pric e competitiv e landin g fees , th e NFI A i s ideall ysuite d an d strategicall ylocate d t o accommodat e variou s type s o f aviatio n operation s suite d fo rbusines s an d leisur e use . Th e clos e proximit y o f th e airpor t t o th e Canada/US A border , it s locatio n jus t of f a majo rhighway , an d it s centra l locatio n t o th e Canad a an d US A populatio n base , offe rgrea t economi c advantages . Significan t development s an d investmen t has bee n mad e a t th e airport . Thi s ha s create d privat e investmen t throughou t th e communit y an d ha s secure d additiona l transportatio n need s an d opportunities . Gran t fundin g fro m th e SCASD P i s neede d t o ensur e tha t thes e ne w development s continu e t o grow .

Cit y Hall , 21 6 Payn e Avenue , Nort h Tonawanda , N Y 1412 0 • 716-695-854 0 • 716-695-854 1 (Fax ) robertort@northtonawanda.or g

# oocTh e loca l stakeholde rcommunit ycanno t completel y fun d thei rmarketin g airpor t initiative s an d provid e incentive s t o entic e additiona l airlin e carriers . Federa l assistanc e i s neede d t o complet e thi s importan t task . A SCASD P awar d wil l hel p expan d th e airport' s existence , brin g greate rinvolvemen t t o th e communit y whil e enhancin g economi c competiveness . I a m confiden t tha t th e NCCE D gran t reques t wil l greatl y improv e qualit y o f lif e throughou t Wester n Ne w Yor k

an d ac t a

s a mode l initiativ e tha t coul d assis t futur e airline s t o inves t throughou t ou rcommunit ytha t benefit s stakeholder s an d touris t t o ou rregion . I as k tha t thi s gran t applicatio n b e give n ver y carefu l consideration . Than k yo u fo ryou rtim e an d attentio n t o thi s matter . Faithfull yYours , Robert G . Ort t Mayo r Cit yo f Nort h Tonawand a