(A) The municipality shall hold a hearing on the application for a license. Notice of the hearing must be published one time, one week prior to the hearing in the official newspaper. Any resident who requests written notice of the hearing must be notified accordingly.
(B) (1) If the application is denied after the hearing, the fee is returned to the applicant. If after the hearing, the application is granted, the fee is deposited in the general fund and the application is forwarded to the secretary of the Department, who can accept or reject the application.
(2) If the application is for a malt beverage license, only one-half of the fee is deposited in the general fund. The other one-half is forwarded to the secretary of the Department.
(C) A license cannot be reissued to the same applicant for a one-year period if the license has not been actively used by the applicant during the previous two years.