ELECT COSTANZA BARRETT VOIGT
Lisa Barrett
Town Council
Phone:
585.737.9400
Email:
Address:
22 Kings Gate North
Rochester, NY 14622
Age: 65
My Background
I have been a resident of Irondequoit for forty-five (45) years. I am a wife, proud and humble mother of two boys both of which are in Law Enforcement, my eldest son, Jeremy, is a Veteran of the War on Terror, and I’m a grandmother. Most importantly, I am a child of God. Jesus is the leader of my life and He directs my path. Apart from living in Irondequoit for most of my life, I have strong ties to the community as my son Matthew works for the Town, my grandchildren Mason and Madison attend Irondequoit schools, I have extended family that are town residents, and I attended Living Water Christian Fellowship for six (6) years and have been attending Northridge Church for fourteen (14) years.
I graduated from Our Lady of Mercy High School (1977), and have an AAS Degree in Liberal Arts with Accounting concentration form SUNY Morrisville (1979).
I am an animal lover, especially dogs and horses. I enjoy helping other dog parents obedience train their pup(s). As a young girl, I owned a horse and enjoyed riding and taking care of him. I hope to have a horse again. I love to workout, bowl, and spend time on our boat and with our friends. I volunteer at my church, at The Open Door Mission Soup Kitchen, and Ronald McDonald House.
My Professional Experience
I have thirty-five (35) years’ experience working in the Civil Engineering industry on Public Works projects for Heavy Highway and Bridge Construction for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), Monroe County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), City of Rochester Department of Environmental Services (DES), and surrounding county municipalities.
As Resident Engineer, I have overseen highway, local roads, and bridge construction/reconstruction/rehabilitation projects with multimillion dollar construction cost budgets. I have a comprehensive understanding of the importance of delivering a completed project within the budget. I work closely with the project owner (governmental agency), as well as the contractor, and many utility companies to deliver a successful project. I am the liaison between the owner and contractor to ensure that the project is built per the contract documents, proposal, and the governing agencies’ specifications. Some of my responsibilities are; approve field changes that deviate from the contract documents, process monthly payment applications, contract change orders, and all project correspondence. Conduct project progress meetings as well as utility coordination meetings. I also manage a staff of three (3) to five (5) construction inspectors.
My Pledge to Irondequoit Residents
As your town board member, I will represent the residents of Irondequoit with integrity, transparency, and commitment to do what is right and in the best interest of the community. I will act with honesty and adhere to the highest standards of moral and ethical values and principles. “I will fight for what is right” for a promising and flourishing future for the Town of Irondequoit.
2023 Town Property Reassessment: This was an unjust travesty that the town took advantage of during an unprecedented real estate market. My husband, Nick and I were personally affected by this. I would hold the Town Board accountable to ensure that assessments are fair and they are adhering to guidelines set forth and not by the real estate market. I would encourage residents to review the tentative assessment roll yearly and file a grievance if their assessment is unfair.
Address Crime: I am very passionate about addressing crime in Irondequoit because my son Matthew is an Irondequoit Police Officer and my husband and I have been personally affected by dangerous criminal activity five (5) houses from our home. Because of these direct connections, I would encourage open communication with the police chief to identify the types of crimes affecting the community and work with the Board to find effective ways to support the police department to create a safer environment for both the community and my son while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Town Business Development: I will work on building relationships with Property Owners/Business Owners to bridge the gap between the Town and property owner to make Irondequoit more attractive to small businesses through tax cuts utilizing existing properties. I remember the days when Irondequoit was a flourishing town made up of small businesses along the E. Ridge Road corridor.
Spending: I will work with the Town to make the best decisions in allocating funds for infrastructure and public interest improvements and not spend money frivolously. With my experience in working on Public Works Project, I often see how government unnecessarily spends money on insignificant features that don’t benefit the community while overlooking the need to improve the infrastructure that directly affects the community. I’m currently involved with a project that the government agencies have spent $337K on installing two (2) at grade granite curbed concrete turn lanes. When I asked why money was spent on this feature that is not practical in our region’s climate and why this money wasn’t used to improve the infrastructure, I wasn’t provided with an answer.
I am an effective leader and collaborator that will work hard, fight hard, and research any topic or issue that I don’t know or cannot provide an answer/resolution to for a successful outcome for the Town of Irondequoit Community.