Controversy erupts again at the Lansing City Council. This time over a possible police precinct consolidation.

The idea is not new one. The Lansing Police Department has three buildings... would it be more economical to have just one?

"We spend $500,000 a year in tax payer dollars to rent the buildings," Council member Carol Wood said.

Plus, the buildings are in disrepair. Wood said the North Precinct has been red tagged a few times and has a leaky roof. While the South Precinct has had sewer issues.

"We shouldn't be paying a captain salary to take care of a toilet," Wood said. "We shouldn't be paying a captain's salary to be running buckets around or putting bags on top of computers to keep them from being damaged."

A new central building could be in the department's future, but that's for a consulting firm to study in the upcoming months.

The squabble Thursday involved if the Mayor already hired a firm, and how much input the council should have.

"We're in the process of hiring a consulting team to look at the pros and cons to see if this is a good deal or not," the Mayor's Chief of Staff Jerry Ambrose said.

The one thing both sides agree on? Public safety is priority number one.

Ambrose said he thinks a consultant should be picked in the next few months. Their study, he said, could take six months or more to complete.