e 

US. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secreiary 

ofTransporlation 

^TMENT OF 

i 200 New Jersey Avenue, S£ 

Washington, CC 20590 

SEP 2 1 2011 

The Honorable Jim Desmond 

Mayor of San Marcos 

San Marcos, CA 92069-2918 

Dear Mayor Desmond: 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the County of San Diego 

for a grant under the Small Community Air Service Development Program (Small 

Community Program). 

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

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

Under the statute, the Department may use the fiinds 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 1, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in 

receiving a grant this year file their applications by August 2. 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-2011-0119 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 

fi:ee to call me. 

Sincerely yours, 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Program 
I Civic Cenwr Lnive 

San Marats, CA flZd*? 29!fi »*mu* Telephone 

(760) 744-i050 

Aloha Ley 

Associale DirectOf 

Smoil Community AA Service Development Program 

Secretary Ray LaHood 

United States Department of Transpoftatior> 

120O hJew Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington. DC 205W 

August 2,20) 1 

RE: Support of McCMon-Poiomar Airport AppScaAon for FuMflne Under ttte Depoiitnenit 

of TramportoHon SmoM CommunKy Air Service Oevetopment l^ogram 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

I am writing to express my support as Mayor of the City of San Morcos for the County of 

San Diego's FY 2011 Small Community Air Service Development gront submission, i 

undefstand that trie County is requesting $1 miMon in federal fundlr\g to support of 

Califomia Pacific AWnes (CPA) at McClelan-Palomar Airport (Airport) in CartebcKJ, 

Colifomia. 

I am a professional aWne pilot myself and have experierrced firsthand for many years Itie 

lor>g and cosHy freeway trip to airports in downtown Son Diego, Orange County, and Los 

Angeles. Because of lime, traffic, and gasdir>e consumption. I would prefer that my 

corvstiluents arid local business leaders hove another option ifMtead of always having to 

travel to these other regional airports. McClelan- Palomar Airport b extremely 

converrienf and immediatety accessible to residents and comnwrce in my dty. San 

Marcos is the muritcipality very closest geograptticdty to the airport, besides of course 

the city in which it is actually located. 

This project vAtt leod to the creation of several hundreds of new jobs in North San Diego 

County, including potential employees living in Son Marcos. With its headquarters next to 

the Airport. CP Air plans to tiave over 100 employees woridng full-lime vwthin the next 

year, orxj this is projected to expend to 500 employees by the airline's fifth year of 

serviceI encouroge ttie FAA's approved and imme<Jate innplementation ol the funding 

contoined in ttie County's grant oppScation. As a Mayor and a pilot, the ciport ond its 

ctionce to revitalize o u region's ecorwmy are very importont, and I am confident that 

ttie benefits YM pay-off many tknes beyond the inflioi cost of the granl. 

Hon. Jim Desmond.NWoyor 

McClellan-Palomar Airport • Small Community Air Service Development Gront Proposal • August 2, 201 51