Manchester's Debbie Mizerany Gets Her Day

“She’s a big advocate for the city,” said Ward 2 Alderman Mike Clement, who served on the Planning and Zoning Commission with Debbie Mizerany as a liaison between the commission and the board of aldermen. “We need more people like Debbie in the city.”

Clement said that Mizerany has a good eye for aesthetics, something critical for a member of planning and zoning.

“She always saw things that I didn’t see,” he said. The Planning and Zoning Commission is made of local residents who volunteer their time overseeing how land is used in the city. They review site plans for commercial buildings and approve rezoning requests. Their opinions are then passed on the board of aldermen for final approval.

“She’s a delightful lady, always ready to do what she can for the city,” City Clerk Ruth Baker told Patch, adding that Mizerany has been an outgoing public servant.

Mizerany was honored by the mayor of Manchester last fall for her dedication to the city through volunteering. She received a mayoral proclamation from  Mayor David Willson, who declared that Nov. 21, 2011, was “Debbie Mizerany Day.”

The honor came after years of service to the city.

Mizerany recently stepped down from the city's Planning and Zoning Commission after twelve years of service. She served as the commission’s chair for two years and was also a vital part of the homecoming committee for many years.

“She’s been a resident of Manchester a long time,” Willson tells Patch. He said he enjoys handing out city proclamations to worthy citizens. “We totally surprised her."

The mayor said he was sad to see her go, but understood that her schedule was getting overloaded.

Mizerany joined the Planning and Zoning Commission by the request of then mayor Larry Miles after successfully shepherding her corner of St. Louis County through the annexation process by Manchester in 1999.

“I was a trustee of my subdivision and I helped with the annex. We much preferred to be in the city of Manchester and to have a quick responsive government, and not just the county,”  she said.

Mizerany is also known for her efforts at the Manchester homecoming festival and for running the Cute Kids and Cute Pets booth. The booth featured photos of kids and pets submitted by residents with a jar for each. Visitors to the booth vote for their favorite photo by putting change in the appropriate jar. After the jars were tallied and a winner announced, the money is donated to Friends of Kids with Cancer, a St. Louis based charity.

“When we started, we got a few hundred dollars, but we got close to a few thousand one year,” she said of the successful fund raiser. Last year the Cute Kids and Cute Pets booth raised $1,425.75.

Reluctantly, Mizerany stepped down from volunteering for the city after her schedule became too full.

“Life happens,” she quipped. “I miss them terribly. Manchester is a wonderfully city to live in. I work full time and have been doing Pampered Chef for twelve years. It got to be too much. I did enjoy it a lot while I was at it.”