Garbage bills will be going up for many Minot residents on March 1.

The Minot City Council approved new garbage rates in January and officially adopted the rates by resolution on Monday. The new rates increase the monthly fee by 50 cents for 65-gallon carts and $1 for 95-gallon carts.

New cart rates for residents per month are: 35 gallon, $14.72; 65 gallon, $16.72; and 95 gallon, $18.72. Curbside recycling is to begin in July but the $2.50 monthly charge for a cart will not kick in until October, giving residents a grace period for opting out.

The council voted to purchase recycling carts from Schaefer Plastics North America, which provided carts for the garbage program when automated trash collection began in 2017. The city will utilize lease financing of the carts and a grant of about $207,000 is available.

The latest rate changes also will affect the landfill, increasing the charge for asbestos, from $50 a ton to $100 a ton, and contaminated soil, from $15 to $75. Minimum charges also are being added for municipal solid waste, $10, and inert material, $5.

The council accepted the $2.12 million bid of Wagner Construction to construct Cell 7 at the Minot Landfill, which will have a capacity of 3.7 million cubic yards of waste. Total project cost with engineering is $2.34 million.

Cell 6, constructed in 2018, is about 65% full, according to the Minot Public Works Department. The department reported there also is remaining capacity in Cells 4 and 5, but they and Cell 6 are near the top of their elevations. Windblown debris is a problem when working at these high elevations. The department notes having Cell 7 constructed will provide a lower lying area for disposal on high wind days.