Lansing - Investigating relationships between police and the community and expanding minority business contracts are among the priorities of the city council in the next fiscal year.

The council announced a new set of budget resolutions for 2003-04 at Monday’s meeting. Many of the items are follow-ups from previous or continuing requests by the community.

“There are fewer new things than there are old things,” Deputy Mayor David Wiener said.

Newer resolutions aim to investigate the possibility of lowering sewer service costs for low-income residents and senior citizens and to expedite improvements of abandoned housing.

The council will forward the resolutions to Mayor David Hollister’s office for his consideration for the next budget year, which begins in July.

“Usually we do research to analyze their proposals and policies,” Wiener said. “We see if we can do them, and if we feel that we can not do one, we do an analysis and present it to the council.”

Several council members also addressed a desire to beautify the city.

“We want to improve and maintain the city’s infrastructure,” city council Vice President Carol Wood said. “We also want to provide comprehensive and affordable recreation programs for youth and families - and try to contain costs whenever possible.”

Wood said the council will receive a copy of the mayor’s budget in March.

“We’ll be looking at a bare-bones budget,” she said. “If revenues allow, there is a list of several priorities that came from different committees that we’d like to see incorporated.”

Ron Wilson, council’s legislative assistant, said he expects that Hollister will incorporate many of the resolutions on the statement into his budget. “He’s been doing quite well in the last few years,” Wilson said.

He said the council’s chief request is to keep the city “afloat and out of red ink,” which has been a priority for several years. And the main focus, he said, will be to tighten the city’s overall budget.

“We will live within our means,” Wilson said.