(a)  The agency shall publish notice of the hearing not less than once a week for four successive weeks prior to the hearing. The notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation, printed and published in the community, or if there is none, in a newspaper selected by the agency. The notice of hearing shall include a legible map of the boundaries of the area or areas designated in the proposed redevelopment plan and a general statement of the scope and objectives of the plan in nontechnical language and in a clear and coherent manner using words with common and everyday meaning.

The agency shall prepare a legal description of the boundaries of the area or areas designated in the proposed redevelopment plan and make this legal description available to the public for inspection during the agency’s normal business hours. The notice of the hearing shall state that a copy of the legal description of the boundaries is available upon request, free of charge.

(b)  Copies of the notices published pursuant to this section shall be mailed, by first-class mail, to the last known assessee of each parcel of land in the area designated in the redevelopment plan, at his or her last known address as shown on the last equalized assessment roll of the county; or where a city assesses, levies, and collects its own taxes, as shown on the last equalized assessment roll of the city; or to the owner of each parcel of land within the boundaries of the area or areas designated in the proposed redevelopment plan, as shown on the records of the county recorder 30 days prior to the date the notice is published.

(c)  (1)  Notice shall also be provided, by first-class mail, to all residents and businesses within the project area at least 30 days prior to the hearing.

(2)  The mailed notice requirement of this subdivision shall only apply when mailing addresses to all individuals and businesses, or to all occupants, are obtainable by the agency at a reasonable cost. The notice shall be mailed by first-class mail, but may be addressed to “occupant.” If the agency has acted in good faith to comply with the notice requirements of this subdivision, the failure of the agency to provide the required notice to residents or businesses unknown to the agency or whose addresses cannot be obtained at a reasonable cost, shall not, in and of itself, invalidate a redevelopment plan or amendment to a redevelopment plan.

(d)  Copies of the notices published pursuant to this section shall also be mailed to the governing body of each of the taxing agencies that levies taxes upon any property in the project area designated in the proposed redevelopment plan. Notices sent pursuant to this subdivision shall be mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested.

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 565, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1998.)