A Longmeadow Planning Board member's behavior is prompting town officials to re-examine whether board members need be appointed instead of elected.
Walter Gunn, who has been accused of trespassing on residents' yards twice, including at night, and one resident thought he appeared drunk, resigned today.
In a letter to the town he said, he has served on the board since 2001 and been re-elected four times.
"I believe I have always served in the best interest of the town as a citizen planner and a concerned lifelong resident," he wrote.
The latest incident he is accused of took place in January. A complaint filed with the Board from resident Fabricio Ochoa claims Gunn made "demeaning remarks" to him.
Ochoa took a video of Gunn, submitted to town officials and obtained by NEPM, stumbling into his yard giving a false name and attempting to investigate a planning board matter. He also asks Ochoa about his ability to speak English in the video.
A previous incident happened in 2014, according to a police report.
Longmeadow's Select Board Chair, Vineeth Hemavathi, announced Gunn's resignation in a Facebook post this afternoon.
"I want to thank everyone who spoke out and supported the Ochoas during this difficult period," he wrote. "Sometimes, it can be hard to stand up for what is right, but so many of you did. I'm really proud of how Longmeadow responded to this."
He said members are moving to shift the planning board to an appointed body instead of an elected one. Saying it will be a more efficient way to appoint qualified individuals to town boards and to remove people.
“When we make appointments, we really take a look at the backgrounds of individuals and really think about whether they would be a good fit for the board or committee that they're appointed to, and also whether they hold themselves up to the standards that we expect of our public officials or boards and committees,” Hemavathi said.
In his resignation Gunn said he is "disappointed" at the possibility of the board becoming an appointed position as it goes against the town's 2004 charter.
"I will continue to fight for the independence of this board," he wrote.
Hemavathi noted most municipalities, including East Longmeadow, are already changing town board positions to appointments rather than holding elections.
A vote on this is scheduled for next month. Gunn could not be reached for comment.