When many owners protest adding land to a district

(a) If the owners of more than fifty-five percent of the area of land, or if more than fifty-five percent of the owners of the land, in the territory included in the existing district or the annexed territory, file with the council, prior to or at the beginning of the hearing, written protests against the proposed addition of territory to the existing district, and if protests are not withdrawn so as to reduce the amount of the protests to fifty-five percent or less, no further proceedings shall be undertaken for a period of one year from the date of decision of the council on the issues discussed at the hearing. (b) If property included or proposed to be included in the district is subject to a lease, the lessee shall be deemed to have and may exercise all of the rights of the owner for notice and hearing and to protest under this section, unless prior to the closing of the public hearing, the lessor or owner of the property files with the council either: (1) A written statement that the lease does not require the lessee to pay the special tax and a written undertaking by the lessor or owner to pay the special tax and to refrain from imposing the obligation to pay the special tax upon any successor lessee; or (2) A written waiver of any requirement in the lease that the lessee pay the special tax and a written undertaking by the lessor or owner to pay the special tax and to refrain from imposing the obligation to pay the special tax upon any successor lessee. (1994, ord 94-77, sec 3.)32-51