David Ward is no longer a Bainbridge Island city councilman.

City officials signed a settlement agreement Tuesday, Dec. 9 with two “good government” activists to end their public records lawsuit against the city in exchange for a nearly $500,000 payout and the resignation of Ward.

Althea Paulson and Bob Fortner filed suit against the city in September 2013 that claimed the city and Councilman Steve Bonkowski, Ward and then-councilwoman Debbi Lester failed to turn over public records that had been requested under the state’s Public Records Act.

Paulson and Fortner had sought emails that the council members had sent and received on their personal email accounts to fellow council members and others, which Paulson and Fortner noted was a violation of the city’s Governance Manual. The manual requires council members to use their city provided email accounts, and to forward any city related emails sent to them privately to the city for retention.

A Superior Court judge ruled in favor of Paulson and Fortner in May, and harshly criticized Ward and Bonkowski for deleting public records from their email accounts.

Ward’s resignation became effective when the settlement agreement was signed, said City Manager Doug Schulze.

Ward, along with Bonkowski and other city officials, signed the settlement agreement on Tuesday, Dec. 9. He did not attend Tuesday’s council meeting.

The settlement agreement was approved by the council Dec. 2 after city officials discussed the contract in a closed-door executive session. It was approved by a 4-1 vote of the council, with Councilwoman Sarah Blossom voting against the agreement.

Blossom declined to explain her vote when asked by a reporter after the Dec. 9 council meeting.

“Not tonight, maybe someday,” she told the Review.

The settlement includes a $350,000 payment to Paulson and Fortner, plus $137,790 in attorney fees and costs.