1. Except as otherwise expressly provided or necessarily implied in this section or in NRS 271.285, upon the filing of such a petition, the governing body shall proceed in the same manner as is provided for hereby where proceedings are initiated by the governing body.

2. Upon the filing of a petition for the acquisition or improvement of a neighborhood improvement project, the governing body shall hold a public hearing on the petition. At least 20 days before the public hearing, the governing body shall:

(a) Mail notice of the hearing to each owner of real property within the proposed improvement district and to each tenant who resides or owns a business located within the proposed improvement district; and

(b) Publish notice of the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality,

describing the purpose and general location of the proposed improvement district, and the date, time and place of the proposed public hearing.

3. At the public hearing, any owner of real property or tenant who resides or owns a business located within the proposed district for a neighborhood improvement project may present, orally or in writing, the reasons why he or she believes that:

(a) The petition does not contain a sufficient number of qualified signatures; or

(b) The finding required by subsection 4 cannot reasonably be made with respect to any part of the proposed improvement district.

4. After consideration of any objections made at the hearing, and of any other information reasonably known to it, the governing body must, as a condition precedent to the initiation of the procedure for acquiring or improving a neighborhood improvement project, find that the public interest will benefit by the provision of the proposed improvements within that part of the municipality. In making this determination, the governing body shall consider the differences it finds between the municipality as a whole and the territory within and adjacent to the proposed improvement district.

(Added to NRS by 1965, 1358; A 1999, 2868; 2015, 147)