Councilor/ neighbor feud over resources

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - A Chicopee City Councilor is being accused of using city resources to fight a personal battle between he and his neighbor.

Feuds with neighbors are not uncommon, but Chicopee City Councilor Tim McLellan is accused of calling the fire department and health department on his neighbor multiple times over the years, and the neighbor wants it to stop.

“I want all this to stop, he's got to stop using his city credentials to harass me,” said Gary LaFreniere, Chicopee.

Chicopee's Gary LaFreniere has harsh words for his next door neighbor Chicopee city counselor Tim McLellan.

LaFreniere has a harassment prevention order out against McLellan after he's reportedly irritated him one too many times.

“When I have a BBQ he calls the fire department, six separate times, he called the health department on me 3 separate times. He tried to have my truck towed, he filled my car with water,” LaFreniere said.

The 22News I-Team went to Chicopee District Court and the fire department and pored over documents revealing a feud thats gone on for years.

We discovered McLellan is reimbursing his neighbor for spraying water in LaFreniere's truck, causing more than $1,000 in damages.

We also talked to Chicopee's Fire Chief and Health Director who confirmed McLellan has reported his neighbor to them on several occasions, although they said no citations were ever necessary.

 “No, not one, I was cleared every time,” LaFreniere added.

Now LaFreniere wants this to stop - especially the emergency responders.

His court-issued harassment order obtained by the I-Team indicates McLellan can no longer call the fire department unless it's an emergency or there's a witness.

“What if someone is having a heart attack somewhere in the next neighborhood or neighborhood over and the firemen are looking at my grill, what's going to happen then,” LaFreniere said.

The 22News I-Team took the list of claims to McLellan himself.

“I'm a taxpayer first and foremost and if my rights are being violated as a taxpayer I have every right to call any department in this city which he does to me every day of the week,” McLellan said.

McLellan says they have a history of problems.

He also says he has a health problem that is irritated by outdoor burning and he’ll continue to call the fire department if necessary.

“I'm going to do what I need to do to protect myself and my family,” McLellan said.

Mayor Michael Bissonnette says he's heard about the ongoing feud and after our investigation is considering what to do next.

“There's a level of concern that I think is heightened now. Because of this it's gone beyond the mere rumor stage and so I think it's going to deserve some additional scrutiny from our law department and certainly from the state ethics commission,” Bissonnette said.

Bissonnette says McLellan is already being looked at in a veterans fraud investigation.
McLellan denies any wrongdoing there and says he hasn't heard anything about that issue in about a year.