U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretory 

of Transportation 

Mr. Thomas Nelson 

Otiiagat11ie County Executive 

410 S. Walnut Street 

Appleton, WI 54911 

Dear Mr. Nelson: 

Assistant Secretary 

July 3, 2012 

.• 

1200,NcwJcrscy Avenue. SE 

Washington. DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by 

·the Outagamie County Airpm1 for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransporta~ion's SnJall 

Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretary has requested that I respond-on 

his behalf. 

The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller 

communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or 

insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grani 

awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. 

ln order to provide communities with la~itude in developing solutions-to their air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types of projects that can be f\.inded. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by June ll. As these grant requests are pending before the 

· Dc[5artment, l cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. 1· assure you that the . 

Department will give full and fair 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-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in. 

this program .. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
. " ......... ~ ·-·· ... ···~· 

OUTAG'AMIE COUNTY 

410 S. WALNUT ST. APPLETON, WISCONSIN 54911 

OAACEOFTHECOUNTYEXEC~ 

June 7, 2012 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

Thomas Nelson, County Executive 

U.S. Department ofTransportation 

400 7tll Street, SW Room 10200 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

~ ., . 

; ·-·' :·~ ...... _..;,;.. - ~ -· . 

Telephone 92o-832-1684 

FAX 920-832-1534 

Thomas.Nelson@co.outagamie.wi.us 

I write today in support of OutagWn.ie Co~ty Airport's application for a Small Community Air 

Service Development Grant. I share the Airport's goal of attracting affordable, convenient air 

service to our community helping foster business and industry growth. 

As a local elected official, one of recwring themes I hear from our business community is the 

importance of connecting with their clients throughout the county and the world. In order to 

retain and attract business and industry, we must maintain and expand convenient, competitively 

priced air service. ATW's grant request offers a very unique opportunity to study a business 

plan concept that has ·exciting potential to fundamentally lower airline operating costs in the 

market, thereby stabilizing existing service and offering exciting opportunities to grow service, 

unlike traditional revenue guarantees. 

Outagamie ColUlty Airport continues to make critical investments in the infrastructure to provide 

the framework for"sustairiable, long~terin- gro~. Support through the Small Community Air 

Service Development Grant will be a key component in identifying yet another opportunity to 

strengthen the airport's competitive position in the marketpl~ce and support additional air service 

recruitment efforts. Combined, these investments will strengthen ATW's ability to serve the 

needs of both business and leisure travelers throughout ~e region. 

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration ofOutagamie County Airport's Small 

Community Air Service Development Grant application. I am confident this investment will 

provide long-term results in retention and attraction of quality~ affordable air service to the 

businesses and residents ofNortheast Wisconsin. · 

Sincerely, 

2d son 

Outagamie County Executive 

Visit our 1-.rebsi te at w-..-w. co. outagamie. wi. us