11 « IHMUMIIIMIII I o f Assisrani Secretary :."', • P I : \ l rZOH New Jersey Ave S E 

Ttronsportcrtlon ^ - !•;? M 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation : V .. ! A 'j ' ?:, 

OCT 2 2 2010 

Mr. Thomas P. Kelley 

President/CEO 

Camarillo Chamber of Commerce 

2400 E. Ventura Boulevard 

Camarillo, California 93010 

Dear Mr. Kelley: 

Thank you for your letter of August 27 supporting the proposal submitted by the Ventura 

County/Oxnard Airport for a grant under the Small Community Air Service Development 

Program (Small Community Program). I am pleased to respond to your letter on behalf 

of Secretary LaHood. 

The Small Community Program was established to help smaller communities address air 

service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares and insufficient service. A 

total of $7 million will be available for grant awards in Fiscal Year 2010. Under the 

statute, the Department may use the funds to make a maximum of 40 grant awards each 

year, although no more than four 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 significant flexibility in how the financial assistance 

may be used. 

On July 30, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in 

receiving a grant this year file their applications by August 27. As these grant requests 

are pending before the Department, I am sure you understand that I cannot comment on 

the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you, however, that the Department will 

give full consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 
As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2010-0124 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your 

interest in this program. If I can provide further information or assistance, please feel 

free to call me. 

Sincerely yours. 

/ \ rsp-^^^^^ L. Kurland 

^ \ j 'Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
SKI-IOOVi.^-O.w 

Camarillo 

L Chamber of 

Commerce 

Promoting and enWicmg a posicive finvironTnent for bwinew and communicy 

2400 E-Vtntun Boulevard • CamarlHo, California 93010 

RKin.- 805-484-4383 • H K 805-484-1395 • rnfo@Cam»rllloChanib«r.org • www.CainarilloChinibar.org 

August 27,2010 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

United States Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave. SE 

Washington D.C. 

RE: Support of Ventura County / Oxnard Airport Grant 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

This letter is sent to you to fndjcate my support of the application of Ventura County/Oxnard Airport for 

a grant in the 2010 Small Community Air Service Development Program. The grant requested is 

$520,000 with a local contribution and ticket purchase program of $480,000 as an incentive for new air 

service at Oxnard Airport. 

The Oxnard Airport has had continuous passenger air service since 1946 and, unfortunately, United 

Express terminated its scheduled air service on June S*** of this year leaving Oxnard Airport with no air 

service. The loss of air service has a significant impact on the businesses in the Camarillo Chamber, the 

nearest city to Oxnard. Our only option is to now drive to either Burbank Airport or Los Angeies 

international Airport. The drive on the freeways from Ventura County is long and very congested. It can 

easily take over two hours to get to either airport. 

I understand that Ventura County Department of Airports management has had meeting with Horizon 

Air about providing nonstop service to San Jose with flights continuing on to Its markets in the Pacific 

Northwest. We are in support of this type of air service and will be an important link to markets In the 

north and connections to other areas. We believe that if Horizon Air is successful at Oxnard Airport, 

Horizon will add more flights to other markets or other airlines wili come to our airport with nonstop 

service to other regional hub airports. 

Our community needs air service at Oxnard Airport and this will be a good start. I strongly support the 

application of Ventura County/Oxnard Airport for a grant under this program and will support the new 

air service. 

Sincer^yours. 

Thomas P. Kelley 

President/CEO 

r '