The phrase "general increase in basic rates and charges" does not include changes in rates related solely to the cost of fuel or to the cost of purchased gas or purchased electricity or adjustments in accordance with tracking provisions approved by the commission. In addition to other tracking provisions the commission finds appropriate, the commission may approve periodic tracking mechanisms for water utilities and wastewater utilities to permit recovery of changes in property taxes. The commission may also approve periodic tracking mechanisms calculated to recover from customers located within the geographic boundaries of local units of government the incremental costs of operation and maintenance of water utilities and wastewater utilities resulting from policies or ordinances that are adopted by those local units and that the commission determines to be unusual but not necessarily unreasonable under section 101 of this chapter. The commission shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2, including emergency rules in the manner provided by IC 4-22-2-37.1, to define what is unreasonable with respect to road cut permits and other specifications or policies established by a local unit that imposes costs on water or wastewater utilities.
IC 8-1-2-42