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ULS.Depanmento f Transportatio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y SE P 2 0 201 1 o f Transportatio n


### Th e Honorable Marcy Kaptu

r U.S
. Hous e of

Representative s Washington , DC 2051 5 Dea r Congresswoma

n Kaptur : 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S

E Washington , D C 2059 0

r t i "Z D ,-- J C O > ' - ^ : ' ' : • ".-"7 ^ .-^ " 

# S M 

# iS S
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### Than k yo u fo r you r lette r supportin g th e proposa

l submittedb

y th e Toledo-Luca s Count

y Por t Authorit y fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m (Smal l Communit

y Program)
. Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dto hel

p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularly issue s relate dto high airfare s an dinsufficien

t service
. Unde r the statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e th e fiinds t

o mak e amaximu

mof 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although n o mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s in th e sam e State
. I n orde r t o provide communitie s wit

h latitude i n developing solution s t o their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility i

n how th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used
. O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen

t issue d a n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste din receiving agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2
. A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pendin g befor e th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understandtha

t I caimo t commen t on th e merit s o f an y particula r proposal
. I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will give ful l consideratio n to all proposal s tha t hav e been properl

y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop

y of you r lette r an dthi s respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outside th e recor

dof thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . I

f I ca n provide fiirther

information o

r assistance , pleas e fee

l fi-ee t o call me . Sincerel y yours ,

AlohaLe y Associat e Director Smal l Communit

y Progra mo"MiTTE E O N APPROPRIATION S Subcommitte e on Defens e Subcommitte e o

n Transpoitation , l-fl!D , ^ an d Relate d Agencie s Subcommitte e o

n AgricuiUire , Rura l Development , FD A an d Relate d Agencie s COMMITTE E O

N THE BUDGE T DEMOCRATI C STEERIN G AN D POLIC Y WASHINGTON , D.C
. 

## oWA :

MARC Y KAPTU R 9 T H DISTRICT , OHI O 218 6 RaybumBuildin g Washington , DC 20515-350 9 (202)225-414 6 Fax:(202)225-771 1 OHI O OFFIC E One Maritim

e Plaz a 6t h Floor Toledo , O H 43604-185 3 (419)259-750 0 (800 ) 964-469 9 Fax:(419)255-962 3 http://kaptur.hou$e.go v Jul y 29 , 201 1 Aloh aLe y Associat e Directo r Smal l Communit y Ai r

Servic e Developmen t

Progra m Unite d State s Departmen t o f Transportatio n Offic e of Aviatio n Analysi s 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenu e S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Directo r Ley : I amwritin g o n behal f

o f th e Toled o Expres s Airport (TEA ) an d it s applicatio n for aSmal l Communit y Ai r

Servic e grant . A s yo u ma y kno w th e Toledo Expres s Airpor t ha s suffere d fro masignifican t declin e i n it s ai r

servic e ove r

th e pas t decad e an d airlin e capacity a t Toled o Expres s i s dow n mor e tha n 70 % fro m2003
. TE A an dit s communit y partner s woul d b e abl e t o attrac t ne w ai r servic e fro m Toled o Expres s t o improv e ou r region' s ai r

servic e need s with afavorabl e gran t award
. TE A an d it s partner s wil l matc h th e gran t fundin g with significan t

loca l cas h an d in-kin d matches
. (TEA ) ha s als o develope d acomprehensiv e ne w ai r servic e incentiv e program , includin g groun d handlin g suppor t an d startu p phas e fe e waivers
. Th e combinatio n o f th e gran t supporte d marketin g an d promotiona l fundin g an d th e Airport develope d incentiv e progra mwil l giv e Toled o th e tool s i t need s t o revers e th e declin e of loca l ai r trave l option s an d re-establis h som e o f th e ai r servic e tha t

ha s bee n los t

i n recen t years . I support th e Toled o Expres s Airport' s applicatio n t o th e Smal l Communit y Gran t Applicatio n an d urg e favorabl e consideratio n consisten t wit h you r agency' s rule s an d regulations
. Pleas e contac t m e i f yo u requir e additional information
. Sincerely ,

MARC Y KAPTU R U.S
. Representativ e

PRINTE D O N RECYCLE D PAPE R