GREENFIELD — Health Director Michael Theroux joined the city’s newly revived Agricultural Commission at its meeting this week to outline the Health Department’s role in enforcing and educating the public on the city and state’s agricultural regulations, particularly those related to raising livestock.

Theroux, who was hired as the city’s health director in March following former Director Jennifer Hoffman’s resignation in October, said through his and Health Inspector Nicole Ducharme’s annual inspections of the city’s 28 recorded barns, the department is able to not only discover unsafe or unsanitary animal living conditions, but keep an active inventory of the city’s farm animals.

Addressing enforcement of livestock kept downtown illegally, Theroux said although he lacks the necessary staffing to keep track of each of the city’s animals, any concerned citizen can anonymously report suspicious animal-keeping practices to the Health Department.

“Unfortunately, I have limited staff and a lot of other things to do than walk around and try and look for animals. It’s kind of tough for us, but I’m certainly into looking into anything that people think is out of the ordinary or doesn’t look right. We can certainly look into those things. The whole point of this position is to keep track of the animals and make sure that they’re being cared for and that they’re not spreading diseases around town,” Theroux said. “It’s kind of like if a restaurant knows the inspector is coming, they usually clean everything. If people know I’m coming to their barns, they’re most likely going to put out all the food and water. It’s kind of tough.”

Throughout the roughly one-hour-long meeting on Wednesday, a city ordinance prohibiting property owners with less than 5 acres of land from keeping more than 10 chickens was discussed at length, with commissioners highlighting the regulation as one of the most commonly misunderstood agricultural ordinances in Greenfield. Other laws discussed centered around home slaughtering livestock.

According to Agricultural Commission Chair Elizabeth Nett, there are a number of individuals in Greenfield who keep roosters on lots of land smaller than 5 acres without permits from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

She added that others confuse the allowance of up to 10 chickens with other waterfowl animals such as guinea hens or ducks, which state law prohibits keeping on smaller lots.

“If I wanted to make enemies, I would bring guinea hens and let them scream their brains out at five in the morning,” Commissioner David Johnson said.

Since the commission does not have the authority to enforce local or state agricultural laws, Nett said the challenge in ensuring compliance will be met through public education. Johnson suggested distributing brochures about Greenfield’s “right-to-farm” laws at local businesses such as Tractor Supply Co. on Newton Street or the Greenfield Farmers Cooperative Exchange on High Street.

Nett also noted that the process through which one can receive a permit to raise more than 10 chickens on a small lot of land takes roughly 60 days, along with 20 days to appeal.

She said applicants are required to purchase a legal ad in the newspaper and notify all abutters within 300 feet of the property by mail, a process that she believes puts too much strain on small farmers.

“The permitting process needs to be more user-friendly,” Nett said in an interview Wednesday evening. “The way that the ordinance is written now, the right to farm is only afforded to people who have 5 acres or more. It’s too restrictive in this regard and it needs to be loosened up a little.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.