NRS271.305. Provisional order: Provision and contents of notice of hearing; restrictions on changes after provision of notice.

      1.  In the provisional order the governing body shall set a time, at least 20 days thereafter, and a place at which the owners of the tracts to be assessed, or any other interested persons, may appear before the governing body and be heard as to the propriety and advisability of acquiring or improving, or acquiring and improving, the project or projects provisionally ordered. If a mobile home park is located on one or more of the tracts to be assessed, the notice must be given to the owner of the tract and each tenant of that mobile home park.

      2.  Notice must be given:

      (a) By publication.

      (b) By mail.

      (c) By posting.

      3.  Proof of publication must be by affidavit of the publisher.

      4.  Proof of mailing and proof of posting must be by affidavit of the engineer, clerk, or any deputy mailing the notice and posting the notice, respectively.

      5.  Proof of publication, proof of mailing and proof of posting must be maintained in the records of the municipality until all the assessments appertaining to the project have been paid in full, including principal, interest, any penalties, and any collection costs.

      6.  The notice may be prepared by the engineer and ratified by the governing body, and, except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, must state:

      (a) The kind of project proposed.

      (b) The estimated cost of the project, and the portion, if any, to be paid from sources other than assessments.

      (c) The basis for apportioning the assessments, which assessments must be in proportion to the special benefits derived to each of the several tracts comprising the assessable property and on a front foot, area, zone or other equitable basis.

      (d) The number of installments and time in which the assessments will be payable.

      (e) The maximum rate of interest on unpaid installments of assessments.

      (f) The extent of the improvement district to be assessed, by boundaries or other brief description.

      (g) The time and place of the hearing where the governing body will consider all objections to the project.

      (h) That all written objections to the project must be filed with the clerk of the municipality at least 3 days before the time set for the hearing.

      (i) If the project is not a commercial area vitalization project, that pursuant to NRS 271.306, if a majority of the property owners to be assessed for a project proposed by a governing body object in writing within the time stated in paragraph (h), the project must not be acquired or improved unless:

             (1) The municipality pays one-half or more of the total cost of the project, other than a park project, with money derived from other than the levy or assessments; or

             (2) The project constitutes not more than 2,640 feet, including intersections, remaining unimproved in any street, including an alley, between improvements already made to either side of the same street or between improvements already made to intersecting streets.

      (j) That the description of the tracts to be assessed, the maximum amount of benefits estimated to be conferred on each such tract and all proceedings in the premises are on file and can be examined at the office of the clerk.

      (k) Unless there will be no substantial change, that a substantial change in certain existing street elevations or grades will result from the project, without necessarily including any statement in detail of the extent or location of any such change.

      (l) That a person should object to the formation of the district using the procedure outlined in the notice if the person’s support for the district is based upon a statement or representation concerning the project that is not contained in the language of the notice.

      (m) That if a person objects to the amount of maximum benefits estimated to be assessed or to the legality of the proposed assessments in any respect:

             (1) The person is entitled to be represented by counsel at the hearing;

             (2) Any evidence the person desires to present on these issues must be presented at the hearing; and

             (3) Evidence on these issues that is not presented at the hearing may not thereafter be presented in an action brought pursuant to NRS 271.315.

      (n) If the project is a commercial area vitalization project, that:

             (1) A person who owns or resides within a tract in the proposed improvement district and which is used exclusively for residential purposes may file a protest to inclusion in the assessment plat pursuant to NRS 271.392; and

             (2) Pursuant to NRS 271.306, if written remonstrances by the owners of tracts constituting one-third or more of the basis for the computation of assessments for the commercial area vitalization project are presented to the governing body, the governing body shall not proceed with the commercial area vitalization project.

      7.  The notice need not state either or both of the exceptions stated in subsection 2 of NRS 271.306 unless either or both of the exceptions are determined by the governing body or the engineer to be relevant to the proposed improvement district to which the notice appertains.

      8.  All proceedings may be modified or rescinded wholly or in part by resolution adopted by the governing body, or by a document prepared by the engineer and ratified by the governing body, at any time before the passage of the ordinance adopted pursuant to NRS 271.325, creating the improvement district, and authorizing the project.

      9.  No substantial change in the improvement district, details, preliminary plans or specifications or estimates may be made after the first publication, posting or mailing of notice to property owners, whichever occurs first, except:

      (a) As otherwise provided in NRS 271.640 to 271.646, inclusive; or

      (b) For the deletion of a portion of a project and property from the proposed program and improvement district or any assessment unit.

      10.  The engineer may make minor changes in time, plans and materials entering into the work at any time before its completion.

      11.  If the ordinance is for a commercial area vitalization project, notice sent pursuant to this section must be sent by mail to each person who owns real property which is located within the proposed improvement district and to each tenant who resides or owns a business located within the proposed improvement district.

      (Added to NRS by 1965, 1359; A 1969, 1413; 1989, 460, 523, 638; 1991, 669, 1873; 1993, 290; 1999, 2868; 2011, 2913)