§ 216. Powers of town board. Every petition for any purpose required by article twelve of this chapter to be initiated by petition shall be presented to the town board but no such petition for any such purpose within a district to which this article shall apply, shall be acted upon by the town board unless such petition and the purposes thereof shall have been approved in writing by a majority of the commissioners of such district. The town board shall call a hearing upon all petitions so approved by the commissioners and give notice thereof and such hearing shall be held in the manner provided in article twelve of this chapter. The town board shall call a hearing upon other purposes authorized by article twelve of this chapter to be undertaken without petition, only after such purposes shall have been approved in writing by a majority of the commissioners of such district, and the town board shall give notice thereof and such hearing shall be held in the manner provided in article twelve of this chapter. If the town board shall determine to grant the petition or to authorize any such purpose, it may delegate to the board of commissioners the conduct of all further proceedings thereon pursuant to article twelve. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to delegate or transfer any power of the town board not contained in article twelve or in sections two hundred thirty-seven, two hundred thirty-eight and two hundred thirty-nine of article fifteen of this chapter.