Application, withdrawal, appointment, & resignation of Joe Cronk

A review of City Hall e-mail communications obtained by Historic City News has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the appointment of 49-year-old Joseph Stephen Cronk to the Historic Architectural Review Board, filling the unexpired term of Jeremy Marquis.

It seems that Cronk, who was appointed to the HARB seat during the regular commission meeting on Monday July 27th, has told at least one person in St Augustine that he also intends to resign from HARB before the October meeting.

Cronk originally applied to the City Clerk in March, 2014, for an open seat on St Augustine’s Historic Architectural Review Board. The commissioners passed on his application at that time, favoring Marquis with the appointment.

Then, when Marquis resigned, 35-year city-resident and homeowner, Melinda Rakoncay, timely submitted her application to serve on the volunteer board. In a decision that would later be questioned, then City Clerk Alison Ratkovic determined that Rakoncay was “not qualified” and therefore did not share her application with the mayor and city commissioners who actually make all appointment decisions.

In the meantime, after the Rakoncay application was submitted and before the July 13th City Commission meeting when it should have been considered, the city clerk, HARB Vice Chairman, Paul L. Weaver, III and outgoing HARB member, Jeremy Marquis, recruited Cronk to re-activate his original application from last year.

During the twelve-day period leading up to the application cut-off, between June 17th and June 29th, Cronk apparently had a “change of heart” based on the e-mail exchange between him and the city clerk.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015 3:23 PM
This is exciting news and I appreciate being considered for this important position. I will review it with my partner and follow up shortly. I will be out of the country during the July 13th Commission meeting thru August 9 and would like to know if this would pose a problem with the application. Thanks again. Joe

Monday, June 29, 2015 at 4:43 PM
Unfortunately I will not be able to submit my name for the position on HARB at this point due to extensive travel in the next 12 months which would affect my ability to effectively serve the city. I hope to be considered again in the near future. Regards, Joseph Stephen Cronk, AlA Assoc, ICAA

The following day, Tuesday, June 30th, after the application cut-off date, Cronk decides to move forward with the application, again. He was informed that because of the late filing, the city has to publish another notice that the position had not been filled.

The informant, local activist Ed Slavin, wrote on his personal blog that he confronted Cronk over the telephone about the status of his general contractor’s license. After an e-mail exchange between Slavin and the following telephone calls, Slavin says that Cronk has assured him that he intends to resign before the upcoming meeting.

The City has already provided a notice that items in which Cronk had a conflict of interest, originally scheduled for the October meeting, had been “administratively continued” to November 19th because there will not be a quorum for the Historic Architectural Review Board. No word from the City on the Cronk resignation.