FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- After a lengthy debate, the Fort Collins city council has decided its holiday display -- including Christmas trees and wreaths -- will stay.

On Wednesday, city crews started placing roughly 30 large wreaths, weighing between 75 and 200 pounds, up on city buildings. But they aren't done yet.

"We may take tomorrow off and Friday and resume on Monday. So, probably Monday or Tuesday, we'll get it wrapped up," said Bruce Byrne, the city's building repair supervisor.

The traditional markers of the holiday season had been one of the issues in the often-contentious disagreement over what is or is not religious, and whether is is appropriate to display on a government building.

The debate delayed the placement of the wreaths by two days.

"You know, it's not a big deal. We just had a couple of days' delay. Other than that, it's business as usual," Byrne said.

About 150 people packed the three-hour meeting Tuesday night where city council members were discussing the issue.

A task force created to study the contentious issue recommended replacing traditional colored lights and a Christmas tree with white lights and secular images like icicles and snowflakes.

But the city council voted to keep the traditional Christmas symbols, by a vote of six to one.

Council members also decided to create a new, multicultural display at the Ft. Collins Museum.

Staffers told 7NEWS they will put together a small, religious and secular display by Dec. 7. It will be placed inside the museum. The larger, outdoor, more inclusive display will be place next November.

"We're going to have things like a nativity scene, which has not been in Ft. Collins in living memory. We're going to have a menorah. We're going to have the symbols of other groups. The nerve we touched in this, nationally, was the traditions. We were viewed as doing away with traditions," said Mayor Doug Hutchinson. "So, the first part was don't touch traditions -- leave the Christmas trees and colored lights -- (and) the second part was add the inclusiveness."

At least nine religions are expected to take part in the multicultural display at the museum.

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden told 7NEWS he will go ahead with his plans to light a Christmas tree on county property Dec. 1. He had thought of the Christmas tree as a way to defy the recommendation to keep Christmas decorations neutral and free of religious symbols.

"The train's moving too fast to stop it now, " Alderden said.