Census: Denton 10th fastest-growing

City drops one notch with growth rate of 4.7 percent, estimates say

For the second year in a row, Denton is among the 10 fastest-growing cities in the country with populations of 100,000 or more, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released to­day.

Denton ranked 10th, with a growth rate of 4.7 percent, among the nation’s fastest-growing cities from July 1, 2006, to July l, 2007, according to the Census Bureau.

The data indicates that Denton is still growing despite the housing slump and economic woes.

“Growth is really the best of times for cities,” said Mayor Mark Burroughs in a telephone interview from Cairo, Egypt.

“I’m very, very pleased to be at the helm of Denton” in working to create a long-term plan for the future, he said.

Last year with a 5.1 percent growth rate, the city captured the No. 9 slot in the Census Bureau estimates from 2005 to 2006.

“Being in that category [top 10] is exciting,” said Mayor Pro Tem Pete Kamp, who added that people are still finding out that Denton is a great place to live. 

City gets fine for permit violations

State environmental regulators on Wed­­nesday approved a $2,000 fine against the city of Denton for air quality per­mit violations.

The Texas Commission on Environ­mental Quality found that the city missed a deadline to submit an annual permit compliance report for the landfill on May­­hill Road. The city also failed to pay an annual stormwater permit fee for an engineering construction project, the com­mission said.

“These are recordkeeping violations,” said Vance Kemler, Denton’s solid waste director. “These are not performance or environmental issues.”

The city already submitted the tardy paperwork and paid the fine and belated fee, Kemler said.

The landfill has a five-year air quality permit from the state. The city must submit a report each year to confirm it complies with state rules.

Kemler blamed the first violation on confusion over the reporting deadline. City workers mistakenly believed the deadline changed when the state altered air quality regulations in late 2006, he said. The report covered Aug. 8, 2006, to Aug. 7, 2007.

The state deferred $500 of the proposed $2,500 fine, according to Andrea Morrow, spokeswoman for the state commission. As long as the city complies with the agreed order, it doesn’t have to pay more than $2,000.

The city paid the overdue stormwater fee in March, as soon as workers received notice of the violation, Kemler said.

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