The Alamo Area Council of Governments is looking into the contents of a letter that came out in support of two suspended executives, just days before AACOG's board is to determine whether to fire the pair.
On Monday the executive committee of AACOG met behind closed doors for more than two hours on the fate of suspended Executive Director Dean Danos and suspended Deputy Executive Director Michael Quinn.
The two executives supervised the renovation of office space at AACOG for Jackqueline Cooper of the TriHM Foundation.
The foundation was supposed to pay rent and bring in millions of dollars in grant money but did neither.
Kevin Wolff, a Bexar County commissioner who is also the AACOG board chairman, came out after the meeting and announced that the executive committee had voted unanimously to recommend to the full board that the two executives be terminated.
"There were a number of actions I believe that were taken obviously without board approval or notification," Wolff said.
After the meeting, Danos said he would comment after the full board has a chance to act.
"I would rather not make any comments until after the board meeting on Wednesday," Danos said.
Adam Poncio, Quinn's attorney, said his client feels this was a rushed vote.
"We just wish that they hadn't taken action until the investigations were complete," Poncio said. "He felt that he was doing his job for the best interests of AACOG."
The committee also did not consider the contents of a letter that came in on Sunday.
In it, a person identified as TriHM Foundation's funding director said nothing illegal was done and the money the foundation owed is arriving in 10 days.
The letter from someone identified as Jodi Lee said rent will be paid and that the trio, Danos, Quinn and Cooper, did nothing illegal.
It said Cooper was emotionally distraught about what has gone on.
In addition, there was a mention of a confidentiality agreement put in place by the funding source for the foundation.
Wolff said that allegation was being examined.
"We've already got staff here working to try to find those documents," Wolff said. "So far there's nothing."
But Wolff said staff will look into the contents of the letter to see if they are valid.
AACOG's board meeting is scheduled sometime in the next week.
While Wolff said the controversy has caused a black eye for the agency, he pointed out that it does many good things in the central and south Texas area.
AACOG has 250 employees, a $40 million yearly budget and serves 13 counties.
Joe Ramos, AACOG's senior director of regional services said grants pay for the services AACOG provides.
"AACOG is a regional planning organization," Ramos said. "It's been around for almost 50 years. We receive grants from either the federal government or state government and we administer those grants."
One grant provides training for law enforcement agencies, including certification.
Police officers from various departments were out recently learning the fine art of crime scene photography.
AACOG also provides transportation in rural areas for those who cannot afford it and provides senior services such as Meals on Wheels.
The agency also has a home-weatherization program funded by a grant that helps those who cannot afford it make their homes more energy-efficient.
"We receive annually about $2 million and we weatherize about 200 homes per year," Ramos said.
That includes identifying cracks and gaps in people's homes where heat and cool air can escape.
AACOG is one of a dozen such councils of governments in Texas.