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References 429.031 PRELIMINARY PLANS, HEARINGS. Subdivision 1.Preparation of plans, notice of hearing. (a) Before the municipality awards a contract for an improvement or orders it made by day labor, or before the municipality may assess any portion of the cost of an improvement to be made under a cooperative agreement with the state or another political subdivision for sharing the cost of making the improvement, the council shall hold a public hearing on the proposed improvement following two publications in the newspaper of a notice stating the time and place of the hearing, the general nature of the improvement, the estimated cost, and the area proposed to be assessed. The two publications must be a week apart, and the hearing must be at least three days after the second publication. Not less than ten days before the hearing, notice of the hearing must also be mailed to the owner of each parcel within the area proposed to be assessed and must contain a statement that a reasonable estimate of the impact of the assessment will be available at the hearing, but failure to give mailed notice or any defects in the notice does not invalidate the proceedings. For the purpose of giving mailed notice, owners are those shown as owners on the records of the county auditor or, in any county where tax statements are mailed by the county treasurer, on the records of the county treasurer; but other appropriate records may be used for this purpose. For properties that are tax exempt or subject to taxation on a gross earnings basis and are not listed on the records of the county auditor or the county treasurer, the owners may be ascertained by any practicable means, and mailed notice must be given them as provided in this subdivision. (b) Before the adoption of a resolution ordering the improvement, the council shall secure from the city engineer or some other competent person of its selection a report advising it in a preliminary way as to whether the proposed improvement is necessary, cost -effective, and feasible and as to whether it should best be made as proposed or in connection with some other improvement. The report must also include the estimated cost of the improvement as recommended. A reasonable estimate of the total amount to be assessed, and a description of the methodology used to calculate individual assessments for affected parcels, must be available at the hearing. No error or omission in the report invalidates the proceeding unless it materially prejudices the interests of an owner. (c) If the report is not prepared by an employee of a municipality, the compensation for preparing the report under this subdivision must be based on the following factors: (1) the time and labor required; (2) the experience and knowledge of the preparer; (3) the complexity and novelty of the problems involved; and (4) the extent of the responsibilities assumed. (d) The compensation must not be based primarily on a percentage of the estimated cost of the improvement.