Board of Health Defers Vote on Chicken Rules
West Boylston's Board of Health closed a hearing on backyard chicken rules but held off on voting.
Board of Health · Meeting of April 27, 2026
West Boylston's Board of Health closed a hearing on backyard chicken rules but held off on voting. Chair Robert Barrell led the session, which included testimony from regional Animal Control Officer Jennifer Ford, who said conducting the town's barn inspections "is really not a duty we should be performing." Residents including a self-identified Agricultural Commission member, Raj, argued the draft rules were too broad and should go to town meeting instead. The board voted unanimously to recommend an intermunicipal agreement sending $23,400 of West Boylston's roughly $140,000 in opioid settlement funds to a new regional task force with Shrewsbury, and appointed member Marybeth O'Day as the town's representative.
A final vote on the animal regulations is expected at an evening meeting around May 20.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 840 words
Source: the Board of Health meeting of April 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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