EP City Clerk's Office Now e-Recording Docs / Police Promotion

East Providence has joined the list of local communities which have added an electronic option for filing land record documents. East Providence has become the 6th municipality in Rhode Island to complete this project and go live.

"East Providence is now fully equipped to e-Record for land record documents in the City Clerk's office. This is a method of delivering and returning documents between the submitter and the recorder. It allows Notaries to notarize real property electronic documents with electronic signatures," said City Clerk Samantha Burnett.

"This method was implemented to keep us in compliance with the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UTEA) that was proposed by the Uniform Law Commission. It is also in alignment with the Rhode Island House Bill 7080/ Senate Bill 2145 that passed in July 2018 and effective as of July 2019. In essence, the UTEA makes it legal to e-Record," Burnett added.

The benefits of having e-Recording (besides being in compliance with state law) are:

* Higher efficiency - our clerks will begin to see less incoming mail and less counter transactions; the clerk's office will receive documents in real time. In many cases, this will speed the process up by at least 3-5 days for customers;

* Lower costs - no longer need to pay postage in returning documents;

* Increased accuracy in document tracking;

* Faster, more assured and accurate ACH revenue tracking - the city is set up through eRecording vendors for disbursements once they collect the accurate amount owed for recordings;

* Better document control, rejection and resolution process.

"You can e-record your documents online through Simplifile right now in City of East Providence," states a statement on the city web site. "Simplifile makes it easy to e-record all of your documents online. You don’t have to leave the office, use the mail, or stand in line – saving you time and money. If you have a PC, high-speed internet access, and a scanner, you have what you need to start e-recording in City of East Providence. Join thousands of title companies, banks, and attorneys that are already e-recording with https://simplifile.com/services/e-recording/e-recording-counties/e-recording-in-Rhode-Island/e-recording-in-City-of-East-Providence-Rhode-Island/

Burnett credited a process which involved legal, finance, IT and the mayor. "I would be remiss to not recognize everyone who helped with this, especially the work that Kevin Lewis, our Municipal Services Clerk for Land Evidence had in this process. Both him and Leah Stoddard, our Deputy Clerk, were absolutely instrumental with this process. Whether it was researching, numerous calls with vendors to ensure the roll out was seamless and advocating this process, there was much time and effort they invested. A thank you to both of them," she added.

"Simplifile’s service is free for all communities and recording jurisdictions, introducing no additional burden on county budgets or taxpayers. In fact, it actually saves your county money by greatly reducing the need for postage, ink, paper, and envelopes," said a statement from Simplifile on its website. The process claims to provide one service for all e-recording management; route documents between offices; automate document reception and return; configure to current ystems; provide for simple payments and detailed reporting; city will have full control over the recording process; reduce lines and increase office efficiency; avoid scanning, stamping, and return mailings and reduce costs and help communities go green.

Police Promotion in City

East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva and the Police Department announce the promotion of officer Jeffrey Mace to the rank of sergeant.

Sgt. Mace, who is currently assigned to Rhode Island State Police’s Rhode Island Internet Crimes Against Children and Rhode Island Joint Cyber Task Force, will be assigned to the East Providence Police Dept.’s Patrol Division once he trains his replacement at RICAC.

“In just a short time as an officer, Jeffrey Mace has already accomplished so much both on the force and with outside agencies,” Mayor Bob DaSilva said. “The city is eager to see what this dedicated officer will do in the coming years in his leadership role of sergeant,” Mayor Bob DaSilva said.

“Sgt. Mace is a dedicated public servant with years of service with the City of East Providence and Rhode Island State Police task force and we are thrilled to promote him to sergeant,” Chief Nebus said.

Mace, a 16-year veteran of the East Providence Police Department, joined the department in 2003. Mace worked in the EPPD’s Patrol Division before being promoted to the Detective Division working in the Major Crimes and BCI Units.

Mace, who is a member of the East Providence Police Special Reaction Team (SRT), serves as a firearms instructor and a chemical/less lethal munitions instructor. In addition, Mace is a Glock and H&K Armorer.

In addition to his work in law enforcement, Mace also has extensive training from the Dept. of Justice and U.S. Secret Service in computer and mobile device forensics.

Mace, who has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Roger Williams University and a master’s degree in Administration of Justice and Homeland Security from Salve Regina University, is also an adjunct instructor at Salve Regina University where he teaches mobile forensics.