Audit: SBU elevators not adequately maintained

Four New York colleges, including Stony Brook University, are not performing adequate elevator and escalator maintenance on campus, according to state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

In a report issued last month, DiNapoli said that, despite more than $17 million in contracts, college elevators aren't getting enough preventive maintenance and inspections.

"The safety of students, staff and visitors must not be jeopardized by lax oversight. Immediate steps need to be taken to ensure companies perform the maintenance work they have been hired to do," DiNapoli said in a news release. "Recent elevator accidents have highlighted that safety has to be a priority. Companies have to be held accountable to keep the public safe and assure that taxpayers get the services they pay for."

At Stony Brook, auditors looked at records from July to October 2009 and found school officials did not have adequate cost monitors in place and lacked "reliable documentation" to ensure payments to Schindler Elevator Corporation were appropriate.

"As a result, Stony Brook may have paid up to $16,000 for maintenance services Schindler did not complete according to contract terms," the comptroller said.

The report noted, for example "Schindler did not perform required elevator inspections 44 percent of the time at the campus residences."

The Schindler corporation had no comment Monday.

In a written response, Stony Brook said not all elevators are used as often or need the same level or frequency of maintenance and said it hired an independent elevator inspection service that found Schindler's work had a "high degree of operational reliability and safety."

Binghamton University, Buffalo State College and Baruch College also were audited.