In response to a Grand Jury report on elevator malfunctions at the Granada Garage, Santa Barbara administrators have transferred oversight responsibility of the elevators from Facilities Management to staff of the Downtown Parking District.
On two occasions last year, the Granada Garage elevator got stuck while full of passengers. In one instance, there were 15 passengers on board; in the other 11. In the first instance, it took 75 minutes to free the passengers. The emergency phone did not work, nor did cell phones, nor did anyone hear the bell. The Grand Jury faulted City Hall for failing to have a clear chain of oversight and command for such instances. But the underlying problem is that only four technicians are certified to deal with elevator jams between Atascadero and Camarillo.