After entering an order establishing the project, the board shall cause the assessment list to be published once each week for two successive weeks in the official county newspaper of each county in which the benefited lands are located and in local newspapers of general circulation in the area of the affected lands. The publication must include a notice of the time and place the board will meet to hear objections to any assessment by any interested party or an agent or attorney for that party. Publication of the assessment list is not required if the board mails the assessment list and the time and place of the hearing to each affected landowner. The date set for the hearing must be not less than fourteen days after the mailing or first publication of the notice. At the hearing, the board may make such alterations in the assessments as in its opinion may be just and necessary to correct any error in the assessment but must make the aggregate of all assessments equal to the total amount required to pay the entire cost of the work for which the assessments are made or the part of the cost to be paid by special assessment. An assessment may not exceed the benefit as determined by the board to the parcel of land assessed. The hearing is not required if the board receives written consent from each affected landowner to the levy of assessments. The board then shall confirm the assessment list and the secretary shall attach to the list a certificate that it is correct as confirmed by the board. The list must be filed in the office of the district secretary.