Where there has been a contested proposed assessment, the Board, on behalf of and in the name of the City Council, shall concurrently cause a copy of the hearing examiner’s proposed decision in the matter to be transmitted to each property owner that appeared at the hearing, along with a Fire Department telephone number and location where a copy of the hearing examiner’s complete report is available for inspection. The Board shall include in its transmittal to property owners a notice of the alternate actions available to the City Council as set forth herein below and a notice that they may submit in writing to the City Clerk any information of newly discovered or additional evidence within 15 days from the transmittal date shown on the copy of the proposed decision. The City Council shall review the report and proposed uncontested assessments transmitted by the Board and shall also review the report, evidence, and proposed decision received from the hearing examiner and shall by motion or resolution:
1. Adopt the findings and proposed decision and confirm the assessment;
2. Adopt findings and reduce the assessment set forth in the proposed decision and confirm the assessment as modified;
3. Determine to hear and decide the case upon the record, and any newly discovered or additional evidence offered by the property owner, afford the property owner the opportunity to present, at a date certain, either oral or written argument before the Council, adopt findings, and based upon evidence presented, determine and confirm the amount of any assessment in the matter; or
4. Refer the matter back to the hearing examiner if the Council is satisfied that information of any material newly discovered or additional evidence has been received, or that additional evidence or review is needed before a final decision is made. If the matter is so referred, the City Clerk shall return the complete file on that parcel and proposed assessment to the hearing examiner. Upon receipt thereof, the hearing examiner shall reset the matter for hearing any additional evidence, give due notice thereof, and conduct the hearing for that purpose, and shall thereafter submit another report and proposed decision to the City Council for its review and decision in the same manner as heretofore described.
Whenever a report and proposed assessment decision provided for by this Code section has been calendared for Council consideration, the City Clerk shall retain a copy of the report and have it available for public inspection prior to and during the course of Council deliberation in the assessment proceedings.