Preliminary finding; first meeting of boards, time and place, notice, selection of secretary.

Upon receipt of a petition as hereinbefore provided, the director of agriculture shall make a preliminary finding of the counties which, in his opinion, include public corporations that should be assessed under the provisions of this chapter for the cost of the proposed drain. Upon the making of such preliminary finding, the director of agriculture shall give notice of the time and place of the first meeting of the drainage board and of the first meeting of the augmented drainage board, by sending a copy of such notice and of such preliminary finding by registered mail to each member thereof, and to each highway agency having jurisdiction over any highway, road and street in said district, which notice and finding shall be mailed not less than 10 days prior to the time of the meeting. In the event there be no board of county auditors or finance committee in any county involved, then notice to the chairman of the board of supervisors of such county shall be deemed to be notice to the member of the board of supervisors to be selected by him. The drainage board shall meet first, for the purpose of selecting a secretary. Upon the selection of a secretary, the director of agriculture shall turn over to such secretary the original petition and any other records in his office pertaining to the proposed drain.