### 810-110722-01 1

COUNT Y O F AUGUSTA , VA .

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^•-_ . C O BOAR D O F SUPERVISOR S LARR Y C . HOWOYSHEL l GERAL D W . GARBE R Nort h Rive rMiddl e Rive r TRAC Y C . PYLES , JR. WENDEL L L COLEMA N Pasture ! JEREM

Y M . SHIFFLET

T Wayn e Beverle yMano r NANC Y TAYLO R SORREL

S DAVI D E . BEYLE R ^'"^mSm.^ ^ PATRIC KJ . COFFrEL D - COUNT Y ADMINISTRATO R Riverhead j Sout h Rive rAUGUST ACOUNT Y GOVERNMEN T CENTE R P.O . BO X 590 , VERONA , V

A24482-059 0 (540 ) 245-561 0 FA

X (540 ) 245-562 1 coadmin@co.augusta.va.u s 

### 11-08 7 Jul y13 , 201 1 Ra yLaHoo d Secretar yof Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne wJerse yAv e S E Washington , DC 2059 0 Dea rSecretar

yLaHood : I a m writin g t o yo u todayo n behal f o f th e Count yof Augusta , whic h i s on e o f th e fiv e membershi p jurisdiction s tha t create d th e Shenandoa h Valle yRegiona l Airpor t Commission . W e strongl ysuppor

t th e Gran t Applicatio n before th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n b yth e Shenandoa h Valle yRegiona l Airpor t Commissio n unde rth e Smal l CommunityAi rServic e Developmen t Program . W e valu e th e man ybenefit s o f ou rregiona l airpor t an d have investe d significantl yi n it s developmen t ove rth e years . Th e Airpor t i s critica l t o th e economi cvitalit yo f ou rregio n an d it s future . Ou rcommunitywa s dramaticall yimpacte d i n th e month s an d years followin g Septembe r11 , 2001 . Prio rt o 200 1 ou rcommunit yha d prove n tha t give n th e viabl e an d economica l access , i t ca n sustai n unsubsidize d ai rservice . Recentl you rincumben t ai rcarrier , Colga n Air , introduce d Unite d Expres s servic e t o Washingto n Dulle s Internationa l Airport . Thi s ne wservic e ha s brough t greatl yimprove d fare s alon g wit h improve d connectivityfo rou rpassengers . Colga n als o upgrade d th e aircraft use d i n th e market . Thi s represent s th e firs t substantiv e improvemen t i n ou r servic e i n man yyears . Initia l respons e t o thi s chang e has bee n ver yfavorable ; however , ou rchalleng e a s a communit yi s t o communicat e thi s improvemen t i n ai rservice , fare s an d equipment . T o overcom e th e pas t seve n years o f les s tha n desirabl e service , a n aggressive , sustaine d marketin g campaig n i s neede d t o adequatel ycommunicat e thi s positiv e change . Th e cos t of implementin g suc h a progra m exceed s availabl e loca l resources .

### S I 0-110722-01 1

Ra yLaHoo d Jul y13 . 201 1 Pag e 2 Shoul d th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n awar d a gran t t o th e Shenandoa h Valle y Regiona l Airpor

t Commission , w e fee l strongl ytha t i t woul d resul t i n improve d passenge rtraffic , increase d revenu e fo rth e carrie ran d lesse n o rpossibl yeliminat e ou r community' s relianc e fo rsubsid yunde rth e Essentia l Ai rServic e Program . Than k yo u i n advanc e fo ryou rconsideratio n o f thi s application .

JeremyL . Shifflett Chairma n PJC/jts cc ; August a Count

yBoard o f Supervisors Patric k J . Coffield , Count

yAdministrato r Gre g Campbell , Executiv e Director , Shenandoa h Valle yRegiona l Airpor t

## S I 0-110802-00 6



## INDUSTRIA L DEVELOPMEN T AUTHORIT Y

O F TH E COUNTY O F AUGUSTA , VIRGINI A

1 8 Governmen t Cente rLan e P . O . Bo x59 0 Verona , Virgini a 2448 2 (540 ) 245-501 7 (540 ) 245-509 6 (Fax ) 

### July 22,201 1

Th e Honorabl e Ra y LaHoo d Secretai y o f

Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenu e S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Dear Secretai y LaHood : I nyou r consideratio no f

th e pendin g gran t

applicatio n befor e th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n b y th e ShenandoahValle y Regiona l Airpor t Commissio n unde r

th e Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

program , pleas e allo w thi s lette r

t o serv e a s ou r

endorsemen t

an dunanimou s suppor t

o n behal f th e Industria l Developmen t Authorit y o f

August aCounty , Vii^inta . Th e Shenandoa hValle y Airpor t remain s vita l t o August aCounty' s futur e economi c growt han denhance s th e County' s rol e i n promotin g economi c development . Whil e Shenandoa hValle y Regiona l Airpor t ha s bee n proactiv e i npromotin g thei r services , a n ongoin g campaig n i s vita l t o th e continue deducatio n o f th e community . Withnotn A censu s report s indicatin g doubl e digi t growt hthroughou t

th e community , alarg e percentag e o f tha t growthi s reflectiv e o f

resident s migratin g t o th e Shenandoa hValley . Th e educatio n o f thes e ne w citizen s i s o f paramoun t importanc e t o increasin g th e ridership a t SHD . Eve n thoug hth e Airpor t ha s face dsom e difficu h challenges , i t

continue s i n strivin g t o provid e di e communit y wit himprove dfare s an dconnectivit y fo r passengers . Colga nAi r

ha s introduce dUnite dExpres s servic e t o Washingto n Dulle s Internationa l Airpor t alon g wit ha n upgrad e o f th e aircraf t providin g th e service . Whil e thes e change s hav e bee n me t ver y favorabl y b y ou r

community , i n orde r t o totall y recove r

firompreviou s year s o f

les s tha n desirabl e service , a n extensiv e marketin g campaig n i s neede dt o promot e th e improvement s i n ai r service . Unfortunately , ther e ar e n o availabl e loca l resource s t o cove r th e costs . W e strongl y suppor t

th e applicatio n c f

th e Shenandoa hValle y Regiona l Airpor t Commissio n an dit s effort s t o enhanc e th e trave l option s fo r th e citizen s o f

th e Shenandoa hValley . A successfu l awar dt o thi s communit y woul db e investmen t wel l manage dan dimplemen t i n th e spiri t

o f th e progra mprovidin g lon g ter m benefit s t o th e community . Than k yo u fo r you r consideration . Sincerel y yovp ,

Denni s Burnet t Economi c Developmen t

Directo r