David Allaire,president of the Rutland City Board of Aldermen, says he wants to be the city's next mayor.  

The hazard mitigation home buyout program is designed to buy and remove flood-damaged properties to reduce future hazards.  So far, FEMA has approved the buy-out of 78 homes, 14 of which are second homes. But one hard-hit town has decided not to apply on behalf of second homeowners.

City officials in Barre are asking the public whether large trucks should be banned from Main Street, which has been rebuilt over the past two years.

A Vermont social media service that used to be free has begun to ask larger municipal governments to buy a subscription for custom access. Town officials need to decide whether the service known as Front Porch Forum is worth paying for to reach constituents.

Town representatives in Brattleboro voted over the weekend in favor of a $14 million upgrade of the town's police and two fire stations. But they overwhelmingly opposed a tax to pay for it.

Rockingham resident Sue Hammond famously recorded as Tropical Storm Irene's floodwaters crushed the Bartonsville Bridge and swept it down the Williams River. Now she's documenting its reconstruction online.

Brattleboro will decide this week whether to approve a proposed one percent local option sales tax, which town officials say will generate funds to improve fire and police stations.

Representatives of Granite City Grocery are rolling out a membership drive this week to sign up 600 founding members by next spring in an effort to help revitalize Barre's downtown.

The School Board in Burlington is reviewing a new policy on diversity and equity and considering a strategic plan to better include ethnic minorities.

Tropical Storm Irene destroyed a Windsor County town's Little League field. This month, residents are putting the final touches on its reconstruction.

Castleton's Planning Commission is working on changes to ridgeline zoning regulations. The commission says there's widespread agreement that commercial development shouldn't be permitted on at least 20 peaks.

The Vermont League of Cities and Towns has delivered additional money to the town of Rockingham for restoring the historic Bartonsville Bridge, which was destroyed in Tropical Storm Irene.

Rutland is now the second Vermont community to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. Rutland's board of aldermen voted unanimously this week for a zoning bylaw that precludes dispensaries in the city.

The Agency of Natural Resources is launching a new initiative this week to control stormwater runoff, and the agency has a new approach to help cities and towns tackle the problem.

A persistent drought struck large swaths of the country this summer, and Vermont towns also report concerns about the lack of rain. The state climatologist says aquifer levels continue to drop because there was so little rainfall.

The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board agreed to give village trustees $125,000 toward buying land in the floodplain, which then would be put off limits to development.

Residents in the town of Shelburne will vote in November on whether to explore a so-called "form based zoning code" for development. The goal is to fight unchecked commercial development and suburban sprawl. 

The town of Newark has amended its town plan to make clear that it does not support industrial wind development.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger will announce Thursday afternoon his proposal for a long-delayed highway bypass in the southern part of Vermont's largest city.

Public safety officials have given conditional approval to the state's first two medical marijuana dispensaries, including one in Burlington. Other towns are deciding whether to opt out of the program by crafting zoning ordinances that preclude dispensaries.

The towns of Dover and Wilmington will co-fund the costs of hiring KSE Partners to track how their education taxes are being spent at the state level.

Cash-strapped town governments have often neglected taking care of their cemeteries, leaving them with overgrown lots and crumbling grave markers. Now, one Chittenden County town is using sheep and goats to maintain grass in its sacred public spaces.

Montpelier's City Council has approved a plan to upgrade and expand a state operated wood-fired heating system for downtown buildings, reversing its decision last week to kill the project due to financial concerns.

In Norwich, voters decided whether to issue a bond to help finance construction of a radio communications system.

The Shelburne Fire Department has proposed purchasing a used fire rescue boat to use on Lake Champlain for approximately $36,000. If purchased, it would be the only firefighting boat in the area.