LAKE CITY — During an October 2020 Lake City City Council meeting, the Calhoun County attorney expressed concerns she had over the hiring process of two former police officers, according to new information found by The Messenger which may give some insight into what led to the arrests of them and the city administrator .

City Administrator Eric Wood was arrested on Sept. 21 and charged with felonious misconduct in office, preventing apprehension or obstructing prosecution, two counts of suborning perjury and two counts of perjury. Former officers Anthony Snyder and Aaron Alspach were also arrested that day and charged with felonious misconduct in office and perjury.

According to the trial information filed by the State Attorney General’s Office, the alleged offenses occurred in October 2020. All three men are accused of falsifying public records and making false statements while under oath. Wood is also accused of inducing Snyder and Alspach into committing perjury, and of obstructing the prosecution of the two former officers by knowingly destroying, altering or concealing physical evidence.

The minutes of the Oct. 5, 2020, Lake City City Council meeting show that Calhoun County Attorney Tina Meth-Farrington was there “to discuss with the council her concerns over the police department.”

Meth-Farrington told The Messenger that she was at that meeting to inform the City Council that she was not happy with the process of hiring Alspach and Snyder. She said at that time, she did not know of the situation that led to the current charges.

“My concern was that they were hired too quickly and that shortcuts may have been taken,” Meth-Farrington said. “I advised the council that I would now be required to review every charge to see if the officer that issued the citation was at that particular time qualified to write the citation.”

She said that Alspach had been a reserve officer and was making the move to be a regular officer, and that Snyder did not have that previous law enforcement background. She would have to disclose that information to the defense attorneys in a case because it could have potentially been exculpatory.

“Not a situation that I wanted to be put into,” Meth-Farrington said.

According to Acting Lake City City Administrator Lee Vogt, Snyder and Alspach both started with the Lake City Police Department in the fall of 2020. Alspach had previously worked as a reserve officer since 2008 and Snyder worked for the city’s Public Works Department from April 2019 until he started with the LCPD.

Snyder left the police department in April 2021 and Alspach left in October 2021. Vogt said she did not know the circumstances of their departures from the department.

As of Thursday afternoon, Wood remains on paid administrative leave from his role as city administrator, Vogt said. Wood started as city administrator in April 2016.

During the Sept. 26 special Lake City City Council meeting, the council met in closed session and then instructed labor attorney Mike Galloway, of Ahlers & Cooney in Des Moines, to draft a resignation and release agreement to present to Wood.

Vogt said on Thursday that she wasn’t sure if the city had received the signed resignation and agreement yet.

Wood and Snyder pleaded not guilty to their respective charges last week. A trial has been scheduled for Nov. 29. Alspach’s arraignment has been continued to Oct. 17.

Felonious misconduct in office, perjury and suborning perjury are all Class D felonies. Preventing apprehension or obstructing prosecution is an aggravated misdemeanor.