Whether it's as simple as ordering insulated garage doors to save energy or buying a natural gas-powered vehicle or composting residents' leaves to make "black gold" fertilizer, Garden City has long been in the forefront of the green movement.

"Garden City is committed to environmentally-sound purchases and procedures and we work on them every day," Mayor Peter Bee said. "A 'green' environment is better for all us in the village but we also need to be financially responsible as we gradually introduce additional environmentally-sound initiatives as our budget allows us."

Here are a few of the village's "green" projects in recent years:

Anticipating the campaign to get more people to use fluorescent instead of incandescent lights, the Village Hall was converted to fluorescent lighting a few years ago and the change offered a significant savings to our taxpayers.

The Village also bought a hybrid SUV to test its suitability for local operations. The results so far are encouraging and the Village plans to buy more in the coming years as older vehicles are retired.

Even the Garden City Public Library is joining the "green" evolution. Former Garden City Library Director Alan Roeckel said that a change to a simple 40-gallon hot water tank has meant the Library's boiler could be shut down during the summer, cutting fuel usage by 90 percent in that time period. New fluorescent and efficient HVAC pump motors have provided savings to the environment and the village. The library is also investigating whether a combined heat and power micro-turbine could provide "off the grid" lighting, heating and cooling at significant savings in electric and heating costs.

The village also has a generator that is used in peak demand times for electricity for the village and LIPA. Having the generator on standby earns the village about $15,000 a year.

Each year the village collects leaves from residents and landscapers and composts them on property behind the village maintenance yard to produce the "black gold" fertilizer that is so useful and environmentally sound. Last year the village produced 20,000 cubic yards of the black gold, enough to cover a football field several feet deep.

One of the most visible of the village's environmental projects is its annual tree-planting program. Last year the village planted about 300 trees, roughly double the number of dead or diseased trees it removed.

In the Recreation Department, all athletic fields are fertilized with organic fertilizer and all chemicals and additives used in the pool are environmentally sound.

In addition to buying insulated doors at the Village Garage, the village is also emphasizing to employees that vehicle engines are not supposed to be left idling for more than a few minutes.

"We believe we are doing more than most villages, but there is always room for improvement. Input from residents and businesses is critical to that effort," said Mayor Bee. "We welcome your comments."