At the time of the public hearing, or upon the council’s review of the hearing record when the hearing is conducted by the council’s designee, on the proposed improvement, if the written objections shall represent less than the amount of real property required to defeat the proposed improvement, on the basis of the hearing of written and oral objections, if any, the council may, by motion, at the time of the hearing or at a time thereafter, order the improvement to be carried out in accordance with an ordinance providing therefor, or the council may, on its own motion, abandon the improvement.