Austin Fire Chief Dan Wilson is the subject of an internal investigation, city officials have confirmed.

City officials have not confirmed the nature of the investigation, though multiple documents cite alleged unfavorable working conditions at the station.

Wilson maintains that he has not created such an environment and is the victim of an attempt to have him ousted at any cost, but the mayor and City Council were scheduled to discuss “allegations against an individual” Monday evening behind closed doors.

City officials have not confirmed that Wilson was the subject of Monday’s 4:45 p.m. closed session before the regularly scheduled council meeting.

If the council wants to go forward with disciplinary action against the chief, such as suspension or removal from office, they would have to make a recommendation to the three-member Austin Fire Civil Service Commission.

The alleged negative work environment is cited in a complaint signed by an Austin firefighter in September, but local union president Chris Grunewald said the investigation does not involve only one incident.

Grunewald would not further discuss the issue, saying the union would state its side after the investigation is complete.

The timetable on when that will be is unclear — city administrator Jim Hurm and several council members would not comment on the status of the investigation.

Wilson said he will be exonerated when the time comes, adding that he would gladly take a polygraph test.

In regards to the complaint filed in September by one of his staff, Wilson said he approached the firefighter and asked a question, but did not do anything that would be considered hostile.

Firefighter staff did not comment on the incident.

Wilson said he feels that the allegations are an attempt to unjustly remove him from his position.

“You cannot say things about someone that you know aren’t true,” he said.

In the end, the chief said he feels that this situation is one in a long line of instances of the city not backing him or treating him fairly.

“Can you imagine the service (the fire department) could provide,” Wilson said, “if we had a council that supported us?”

Councilman Steve King voiced his criticism of the department’s “leadership” during a council meeting Aug. 17 while discussing the contract with the firefighters’ union.

King, along with council members Janet Anderson, Marian Clennon and John Martin, signed a document dated Aug. 21 requesting a meeting to discuss the situation at the fire department and also citing an allegedly poor work environment.

While King said he told the mayor to remove his name from that list because he felt the investigation should be handled administratively, the councilman still feels the same way about Wilson’s job performance.

“I don’t think it takes rocket science to see there are problems,” he said.

King said he couldn’t comment on whether he had been interviewed as part of the investigation.

Clennon also confirmed that she and the other three council members signed the document but wouldn’t discuss issues relating to the investigation.

Anderson and Martin did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.

The investigation is part of a controversial year for Wilson — in February, local business owner Carla McCarthy claimed that the chief verbally attacked her during a fire committee meeting.

In April, the Austin City Council and the City of Austin made public a letter of warning and written reprimand to Wilson stemming from his conduct during that meeting.

He was not placed on leave.