# \ ) ^\^s^ - 'a^ ^ ^-v o (e.*^: ?

CjTVO F li[ % ^ ^ ^ 'Ji ; 7f ; 

# DODG E MAYOR' S OFFIC E | Mat t Bemrich , Mayo r| Oavi d R . Fierke , Cit yManage r

Novembe r

14,201 1 " ^ '-'-^S J "j > '^""--

- ^ H — ' Denni s J . DeVany , Chie f

^^ ^ k ^ EA S & Domesti c Analysi s Divisio n ^ '" ^ Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Washington , D.C . 2059 0 RE : ESSENTIAL AIRSERVIC E REQUES T FO RCOMMENT S Order 2011-9- 5 Docke t

DOT-OST-2001-1068 2 Dea r Mr . DeVany , A s Mayor , I a

mplease dto conve y tha

t ou r Cit y Counci l an dCit

y Administratio n endorse s th e proposal submitte dby Grea t Lake s Aviation , Ltd . Give n th e increase s i n ou

r enplanement s afte

r Delta' s improvement s i n Jun e 2010, 1 woul dlike t o reques t tha t Grea t Lake s seriousl y consider

providin g ou

r communit

y wit h fou r dail y flights , instea do f three , whic h ca

n accommodat e fo

r th e increase s i n passenger s utilizin g ou r airport . In addition , I woul dlik

e t o expres s ho w important i t i s t o maintai n competitiv e fare s t o kee p th e passenger s choosin g to fl

y fromFor

t Dodge . Keepin g cancelation s to aminimu mwit h "on time " arrival s an ddeparture s i s importan t t o th e peopl e wh o chos e t o us e th e airport . When th e servic e i s no t

professional , reliable , or

competitive , th e customer equate s that

t o th e For

t Dodg e Regional Airpor

t a s awhol e an dno t

th e airlin e wh o provide s th e service . Th e unprecedente dcooperatio n betwee n Delt aan dGrea t Lake s ha s resulte di n aproduc t whic h wil l provid e our

regio n wit

h seamles s worldwid e connectivit y b y offerin g interlin e an dticketin g arrangement s wit

h Delt aAirlines . Keepin g th e direc t flight s andadesirabl e tim e schedul e i s a vital componen t

t o th e utilizatio n o f

th e EA S air

servic e program . Businesse s an dresident s in For t Dodge , Iowa , rel y heavil y on th e For t Dodg e Regiona

l Airpor t fo r commercial an dprivate air service . For

t Dodg e ha s anumber

o f ver y significant

businesse s i n th e regio n tha

t sel l their product s throughou t

th e Unite dState s an dinternationally . It i s critical that

thes e businesse s hav e efficient transportatio n fo

r their employees , customer s an d management .• Nestle-Purina , Boehringer-lngelheim , Georgi a Pacific , Certainteed , Trinit yRegiona l IVledica l Center , Iow a Centra l Communit yCollege , Silgan , C&. S Product s ar e som e o f th e internationa l companie s tha t rel yo n th e For t Dodg e Regiona l Airport .

• I n addition , Cargill , th e world' s larges t grai n company , recentl yannounce d tha t i t wil l locat e a plan t i n For

t Dodge . Thi s multi-nationa l company' s sale s are world - wide , an d i t i s essentia l tha t For t Dodg e b e abl e t o provid e ai rservic e fo rno t onl yCargill , bu t fo rth e additiona l busines s tha t wil l b e generate d a

s a resul t o f Cargil l bein g i n For t Dodge .

• I t i s estimate d tha t Cargil l alon e wil l us e 150,00 0 bushel s o f cor n pe rday . A t th e curren t pric e o f $7.0 0 pe rbushel , tha t wil l b e a n additiona l $1,050,00 0 injecte d int o ou rloca l econom yeac h day . W e mus t hav e a n airpor t tha t wil l provid e servic e t o th e regio n i n orde rt o suppor t thi s growth .

• For t Dodg e i s a n agricultural , industrial , retail , educationa l an d medica l hu b fo rnorthwes t Iowa . Th e closes t larg e airpor t i s locate d i n De s iVloines , ove r10 0 mile s fro m For t Dodge . Ther e i s als o a n airpor t i n Siou xCity , Iowa , bu t tha t i s ove r13 0 mile s fro m For t Dodge . Th e For

t Dodg e Regiona l Airpor t serve s a larg e geographica l are a an d mus t continu e t o d o so . I strongl y suppor

t th e Federal Essential Air

Servic e Program , designe dt o ensure that rural area s hav e alink

t o th e national transportatio n system . It i s absolutel y necessar

y that For t Dodg e maintai n it s connectio n to th e middl e an den dmarket s o f thes e products , bot

h nationall y an d internationally . Thank yo u fo r th e opportunit

y to comment

o n th e proposal s regardin g th e futiu: e o f our ai r service . Respectfully , Mayo r Mat t Bemric h

Municipa l Buildin g | 81 9 1s t Avenu e Sout h | For t Dodge , l A 5050 1 I Phone : 515.573.714 4 | Fax : 515.573.575 1 Email : mbemrich@mchsi.co m