Yellow-ribbon decals OK'd for city fleet

City council approved a plan on Monday that will see some city vehicles decked-out in yellow ribbons that say "Support Our Troops."

But the decals will not be mandatory, city council decided. It will up to individual operators of city vehicles to decide whether to participate in the campaign, which was suggested by Ald. Shane Keating.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi said it was important to make the decals optional.

"I think that's a lot of what the military is fighting for. So we have to find the right balance between making sure we are supporting people, but we're also supporting the rights of our employees to have their own opinions," he said.

A similar proposal in 2007 sparked a storm of controversy before it was rejected by council.