RUSH CITY, Minn. — Editor's note: The above video first aired Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022.
The city voted Monday to rescind a notice of violation to a Rush City business for having a mural on its wall promoting diversity.
Jason and Erin Oare, the owners of Hairdo or Dye salon in Rush City, received a letter informing them that a mural on their wall — depicting raised fists of all skin tones from a flower garden — was a "zoning violation" and that they had 10 days to paint over it or they would face a misdemeanor criminal charge.
During Monday's meeting, Rush City Mayor Dan Dahlberg said the city council received a lot of community feedback about the letter, and then made a motion to withdraw the notice. The council voted 4-1 in favor of the motion.
Dahlberg also said the council would look into making revisions to the current code.
Community members rallied around the salon after a post from Tuesday, Nov. 1 went viral. A rally was also held over the weekend in support of the mural.
"Anyone that knows us would know that our intent was never to hurt or cause problems, it was to push for unity and to exercise our rights as citizens," Erin Oare said during Monday's meeting following the vote. "We love our city and have no problem following proper procedures and protocol, but Rush City has no building aesthetic or paint standards, just an overbroad and vague code that Mayor Dahlberg himself has described as 'deficient' and 'with shortcomings' that need correction."
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