LANSING, MI — Mayor Virg Bernero and many city council members say Lansing has gone to the dogs.

And not the nice ones, either.

During the council's Monday meeting, Bernero said the issue of vicious dogs attacking or threatening to attack Lansing residents is "a serious problem."

Anecdotally, Bernero said most of the problematic dog attacks or threats in Lansing came from pit bulls.

He said the vast majority of residents he's spoken to believe the city should have some type of vicious dog control system, be it a city-imposed restriction on certain breeds or another form of cooperation with the Ingham County Animal Control.

Council members Derrick Quinney, Jessica Yorko and Jody Washington expressed support.

"It's definitely a concern for all of us here," Quinney said.

Councilmember Tina Houghton said she supported the idea of working with animal control to protect residents, but warned against an ordinance that could punish responsible dog owners instead of cracking down on irresponsible ones.

Bernero recommended the topic be sent to the council's Public Safety Committee.

On Monday, the council also set a public hearing date for technology company Niowave to petition the city for a tax break on about $5 million with of new equipment.

The tax break itself would be worth about $549,000 over six years, company officials said in a committee hearing; they also said they would likely hire 25 new employees over the next three years at an average salary of $60,000 annually.

Company officials said they would purchase equipment and bring new jobs to Lansing.

The company, which has headquarters at the former Walnut Elementary School property, clashed heads with neighborhood residents when they erected a structure often dubbed a "pole barn" on the property.

Rina Risper, president of the Walnut Neighborhood Organization, said the company had made an eyesore out of the neighborhood, devalued surrounding properties and did not participate in many community efforts to reconcile the situation.

"The Niowave employees would never buy a home next to that building," Risper said. "They should be coming up with some type of plan to make the community better."

Councilmember Brian Jeffries said the problem is unlikely to be reconciled at the community level at this point, so a public hearing — and a decision from council — likely would be beneficial for both parties.

"Niowave needs an answer, and so does the neighborhood," Jeffries said.

The public hearing is scheduled for March 11.