(1) After the establishment of a district, the owner or lessee of a facility may file an application for an industrial facilities exemption certificate with the clerk of the local governmental unit that established the plant rehabilitation district or industrial development district. The application shall be filed in the manner and form prescribed by the commission. The application shall contain or be accompanied by a general description of the facility and a general description of the proposed use of the facility, the general nature and extent of the restoration, replacement, or construction to be undertaken, a descriptive list of the equipment that will be a part of the facility, a time schedule for undertaking and completing the restoration, replacement, or construction of the facility, and information relating to the requirements in section 9.

    (2) Upon receipt of an application for an industrial facilities exemption certificate, the clerk of the local governmental unit shall notify in writing the assessor of the assessing unit in which the facility is located or to be located, and the legislative body of each taxing unit that levies ad valorem property taxes in the local governmental unit in which the facility is located or to be located. Before acting upon the application, the legislative body of the local governmental unit shall afford the applicant, the assessor, and a representative of the affected taxing units an opportunity for a hearing.

    (3) The local governmental unit may charge the applicant an application fee to process an application for an industrial facilities exemption certificate. The application fee shall not exceed the actual cost incurred by the local governmental unit in processing the application or 2% of the total property taxes abated under this act for the term that the industrial facilities exemption certificate is in effect, whichever is less. A local governmental unit shall not charge an applicant any other fee under this act.