More Tracking Your Money stories

Hennepin County is about to spend nearly $2 million to make its downtown garbage burner look better and not send too much odor toward its new neighbor—the Minnesota Twins.

When the Twins stadium bill was passed by the legislature a few years ago, lawmakers were told the garbage burner next door wouldn't be a problem. But now Hennepin County is about to spend millions dollars to try to make sure it isn't a problem.

A half-billion dollar ballpark and a garbage burner have always seemed like unlikely neighbors—It's like a gleaming mansion next to a junky house. But now the owner of that junky house is looking to spruce things up to please the new neighbor.

"We spent $1.95 million for what I call garbage burner beautification," said Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson.

Johnson was the only commissioner to vote against the plan. It includes moving garbage burner garage doors that now face the stadium, altering the lanes where trucks approach the garbage burner, and for new landscaping on the side that faces the stadium.

"Somewhere between $700,000 and $800,000 is going to be spent for landscaping around the garbage burner at a time like this. I just think that's insane," Johnson told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

Supporters of the plan say sprucing up the garbage burner is long overdue in a neighborhood that has long been neglected. But Johnson insists it's all about the stadium.

"I think most people if they were honest would say if not for the stadium we wouldn't even be considering $700,000 in landscaping at the county garbage burner," he said.

The garbage burner improvements will be paid for out of something called the enterprise fund, made up primarily of garbage collection fees.