### S I 0-110727-01 0 

# ISl t 

# endocin o Count y

' J ±"r-i"~ ^ Jul y 20,201 1 ;= • C D Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d ' ^ Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 40 0 Sevent h Street , SW , Suit e 1020 0 Washington , D

C 2059 0 Dea rSecretar

y LaHood : I a m writin g t o yo u i n suppor t o f th e County o f Sonoma , California' s applicatio n fo ra Smal l Communit y Ai rService Dcjvelopmen t Progra m grant . Visi t Mendocin o County i s th e promotiona l grou p taske d wit h encouragin g touris m an d thu s economi c developmen t fo rMendocin o County , Sonoma' s neighborin g Count y t o th e north . Unti l th e arriva l o f Horizo n Airline s flight s a t Sonom a County' s airpor t fou ryear s ago , ou rCounty wa s withou t an y schedule d servic e withi n a thre e hou rdrive l Tha t lac k effectivel y limite d u s t o a driv e marke t an d hindere d th e developmen t o f ou rtouris m industry , on e o f th e fe w potentia l growt h areas i n ou reconomicall y struggling , mostl y rura l County . Expansio n o f servic e t o ne w hub s an d increase d frequency t o existin g destination s wil l furthe rstrengthe n ou r toUris m an d busines s economie s by creatin g easie racces s an d mor e choice s fo rbot h busines s traveler s an d tourist s alike . Man y potentia l employers , residents , an d visitor s cit e ou rtransportatio n challenge s a s reason s fo r locjatin g elsewhere . Sonom a Count

y ha s forme d a n activ e private-publi c partnershi p t o pus h fo ran d promot e goo d airlin e servic e a t th e Sonom a Count

y Airport . Businesses , Californi a Stat e University , communit y group s fro m al l th e surroundin g counties , an d variou s airline s ar e workin g togethe rt o brin g additiona l airlin e servic e t o thi s larg e an d growin g community . Th e expansio n o f th e recentl y complete d termina l wil l improv e acces s an d convenienc e fo rvisitor s an d residents . Plc|is e suppor

t thes e effort s wit h a Smal l Communit y Ai rService Developmen t Progra m gran t t o Sonom a County i t wil l mak

e th e difference . Sincerely , Scott Schneider , Presiden t an a CE O o f Visi t Mendocin o County , Inc . 12 0 Sout h Frankli n Street , Fort Bragg , C A 9543 7 VisitMendocino.co m 707-964-901 0

# MERRIL

L ARNON E & JONES , LL

P J S I 0- 1 10S02-03 7

Jul y 25,201 1 Th e Honorabl e Ray LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 40 0 Sevent

h Street , SW , Suite 1020 0 Washington , DC 2059 0 Subject : Docket

DOT-OST-2011-0119 /

Lette r o f Suppor t Dea r Secretar y LaHood : I a mwritin g t o you in suppor t o f th e Count y o f Sonoma , California' s applicatio n fo r aSmall Coramimit y Air Servic e Development

Progra mgrant . I n m y busines s an dinternational non-profit organizatio n office

r capacit y I trave l frequently to destination s in th e Midwest , th e BastemUnite dState s an dbeyond . Becaus e o f thos e trave l need s I believ e i t i s vital tha

t w e hav e first-class an dreliabl e airlin e service s t o andfromth e Charle s M . Schul z - SonomaCount

y Airport ; acritica

l transportatio n hub tha

t service s significan

t population s in Napa , Mari n an dMendocin o a s wel l a s Sonom aCounty . Th e Count y o f Sonom aha s formeda

n activ e private-publi c partnership , heade db y it s Airlin e Attractio n Advisor

y Committee , whic h I chair , t o promote comprehensiv e airlin e servic e at th e Sonoma Coimt y Airport . Businesses , th e Californi aStat e University , andman y communit y group s fro

mal l th e surroundin g countie s ar e workin g together to brin g additiona

l airlin e servic e t o ou r

larger communit

y - wit h aparticula

r focu s o n connectio n wit

h a n easter n hub-destinatio n suc h a s Denver . We nee dthi s connectio n to round-ou t

th e ai r trave l option s fro

mSonomaCount

y Airpor t an dproperl y serv e our

loca l traveler s (bot

h inboun dan doutbound) . You r suppor t in th e provisio n o f

aSmal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Development

Progra mgran t - woul db e critica

l i n bringin g thi s goa

l t o fixiition an dquite likel y wil l mak e th e differenc e i n our

succes s wit h thes e efforts . Pleas e awar

daSmal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Development

Pro-a mgran t

t o Sonom aCounty . Sincerely ,

MPM/ep r Michae l Chairma n Airlin e Attractio n Advisor

y Cbmmitte e SoiiomaCounty , Californi a

I A W (J l I ICI. S .Vvi 4 |i(.l^fs|)JlA,K N t^lVI ) M l , .?ii ' .SANTA liC>SA,(: A Vyi' H i."'>; i 'i.;, S .^SK : • |,\ v CUT ) -'Ji S cidl" ^ !-.1;I.M! : rj|]il'.'''f:!;lj),i\v.;.(i|i i » \v'j.]);.!'.c' . fM-^fif'V.t '

### 810-110727-02 3 'W l Colleg e Avenue , Suite D • Sant aRosa , C A 95401-5148 , U.S.A . (707 ) 565-717 0 te l • (707 ) 565-733 1 fa x ^i^'^f ^ SONOM A COUNT Y www.sonoma-county.org/ed b • EDB@sonoma-county.org ECONOMI C PEVELOPMEN

T BOAR D Be n Stone , Directo r 

### Jul y 21 , 201 1 The Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 40 0 Sevent

h Street , SW , Suite 10200 Washington , D C 2059 0 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : I a mwritin g to you i n suppor t o f th e Count y o f Sonoma , California' s applicatio n fo r aSmal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Development

Progra mgrant . I n m y rol e a s Economi c Development Directo r o f SonomaCounty , I trave l to destination s i n th e Unite d State s an dbeyond . Fo r

me andman

y other s who liv e andwor

k i n Sonom aCount

y andth e adjoinin g countie s i t i s ver y important

t o hav e goo dairlin e servic e a t th e Charle s M . Schul z - Sonom aCoiont y Airport . The Count y of Sonom aha s forme da

n activ e pnvate-publi c partnershi p t o pus h fo r an dpromote goo d airlin e servic e a

t th e Sonom aCount

y Airport . Businesses , Californi aState University , communit y group s firomal l th e surroundin g counties , andvariou s airline s ar e workin g togethe r

to brin g additiona

l airlin e servic e to , thi s larg e andgrowin g community . A n easter n hub like Denver

fro mSonomaCoimt

y Airpor t woul dgireatl

y enhanc e ai r

trave l option s fro

mSonomaCount

y Airport . Pleas e suppor

t thes e effort s wit

h aSmal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Development

Progra mgrant - it wil l mak e th e difference . Pleas e awar

dasmal l Commimit

y Air Servic e Developmen

t Progra mgrant t o SonomaCotmty .

^ ••":.•:. - ,}{• ' >.rj-y ^ i;> . :••;. • -yi. r-,".|r,.: - ;!•;:.:.., ; • ••.;. • .f.' ' i/iK' - r;ti.' : /.;r!,;; , , ; li'--!,.•;.:;;/;/A'''l.i'i.;i > !;:•: " \ •• • • • - 'i^tiii'/r , ,•, : M; . ,•!;!: • i ' ^ ;i t ••^r.^i'rC^ ' ( :< , \f.il.t<:\ ' :•'• : . • • .-'f ^ •'... . • ' f - •. •

: i ! , • 1 . , • • ' \ i • • • .

: > . ; ; ' Boar do f Pixectprs ; , j/,-, ; : > , : ; < Jame s Bielenberg , Chai r • Pan i Chanter , Vic e Chai r • Libb y Harve y FitzGeral d• Mar k Inma n Lind aKachi u • Pete r

O'Brie n • Jo e Orland o • Michae l Toniasin i • Marco s Suare z • Joh n Weble y

### S I 0-110720-03 0

Jul y 15,201 1 Th e Honorabl e Ra y LaHoo d Secretar y o f

Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 40 0 Seventh : Street , SW

v Suit e 1020 0 Washington , D C 2059 0

Dea r Secretar y L aiood : V : Is ^ Developriieii t Sonom aCount y Airpor t

! uppor t Sonom aCounty , California' s appUcatib n fo r aSmal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Pro ] ;rarr i gran t t o hel p expan dan dimprov e airlin e servic e t o th e Charle s M . Schul z - 

### I M y Sonom aCount y community ; s;oup ^ airlin e servic b to ;

observatio n i s tha t

th e entir e count y an dth e surroundin g are asupport s th e effort s o f th e bar do f Supervisor s an dit s partner s (loca l employers , CaUfomi aStat e University , fromai l th e surroundin g counties , variou s airlines , an dothers ) t o brin g increas e ' airport.;-. ' • ' ' • •'• ' ;•'•••• * ' - ' ' '^ ' ' ' Oir ; Loca l othe r parts; ; o f th e bes t wa y forfamilj f no w ver y con ; Increase dairlin e woul dhel p eas e

airlin e servic e ha s traditionall y bee n th e mos t convenien t

an dpractica l wa y t o trave l t o itate an dcountr y t o visi t family ; foi : busines s purposes , aii dfo r leisure . I t

i s als o th e members , tourist s an dpeopl e wit h busines s i n th e are at o ge t here . Th e highway s ar e , ari dwit h th e federa l budge t situatio n ther e seem s littl e hop e o f improvin g them . sjervic e wit h a n additiona l destinatio n lik e Denve r woul dhel p solv e th e proble man d c ( ngestio n o n th e area s highway s an dth e Sa n Francisc o Ba y Are aairports . iges t id ,

- : Righ t no w easter n destinatiori s take s at leas t thre s for thos e livin g il

l Rosi . Fo r

thes e afternoo n becaus e Sonom a hav e committe d Ai r Servic e Sincerely , I'asem Managin g Genera l cc ; .Mr . Jo n Stout ,

MRPOR T BUSINES S CENTE f i t i s necessar y t o ride th e bu s o r driv e t o congeste dba y are aairport s t o ge t aflight t o

. Th e tri p use dt o tak e abou t tw o hour s fromSant aRosa . No w th e sam e tri p no w hour s a t mos t time s o f th e da y becaus e o f

highwa y congestion . I t

takes , muc h longe r th e man y rura l an dsmal l communitie s tha t ar e on e t o tw o horn s awa y fromSant a ]>eople , i t

i s virtuall y impossibl e t o schedul e aflight befor e thre e o'cloc k

i n th e o f th e nee dt o ride mor e tha n pn e bus , an dofte n atax i a s well . Cbunt y an dit s privat e secto r partner s ar e workin g diligentl y t o ge t airlin e service . The y ri: bhe y ari dservice s t o th e effoirt . Pleas e suppbr t thei r effort s wit h aSmal l Communit y Devel ( )pmen t

Progra mgrant . :

Partner-.--;'-; - ^^•^.;,..•.•,:•;/-:;/^.•...,',•--.-:;•• . .-•-;-,.:.:....:•,,--.•.•:-•• . Manager , Sononi aCount y Airport , VI A E-Mail : JStout.SpnomaCountyAirport.or g

41iA v i

n aouievv .^onr o Rc^s o C A 9 5 . 707-678-534 4 FA X 707-5/3- -