KINGSTON — Kingston Port Manager David Malone has resigned.

Malone submitted his resignation on Oct. 9, effective Oct. 23. He is on vacation until his resignation takes effect.

The port commission may discuss hiring an interim manager when it meets next week. The port’s next regularly scheduled meeting is 1 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Kingston Cove Yacht Club. (More than one port commissioner may attend the Kitsap County All Ports Meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Port of Brownsville, according to the Port of Kingston website.)

Malone, 53, a Hansville resident, was hired in November 2013. He formerly served for less than a year as general manager of Goldbelt Hotel in Juneau, Alaska, a seven-story, 105-room hotel owned by an Alaska Native corporation; for three years prior, he was vice president/general manager of Northline Energy, Inc in Edmonds, according to his bio on LinkedIn.

In his resignation letter, Malone said he hoped “that by my departure, the Port, port staff, port commissioners and the community in general will be able to move forward instead of continuing to be dragged down a senseless path by hatred.”

During Malone’s tenure, the port became embroiled in several lawsuits resulting from disputes with Beth Brewster, the owner of Kingston Adventures; and another resident, Tania Issa.

Brewster alleges the port discriminated against her when it moved a float she used to launch paddle boards. Port officials said it posed a risk to boat movement in the marina fairway; Brewster contends the relocation made it more difficult for her to launch, was retaliation for speaking out in public about port management practices. She was later evicted for not signing a business use agreement required to conduct business at the port; she said a non-disparagement clause inserted into the agreement violated her First Amendment rights. (She is operating at the port while her eviction is under appeal.)

Brewster has also alleged her business was treated differently than other businesses at the port because it is operated by a woman.

Issa alleges a port commissioner, a port business owner, and Malone received favorable treatment in decisions made by the port.

To prove their case, Brewster and Issa have filed more than 200 public-records requests since 2014. In 2013, before the period of contention, the port district received four public-record requests all year. In 2014, it received 99; as of Oct. 13, it had received 143, according to Nancy Payne, port auditor.

Payne said the port district hired a full-time employee to accommodate the records requests.

Brewster dropped a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination, but did so “without prejudice,” meaning it may be refiled in the future. Her eviction, upheld in Superior Court, is being challenged in the Court of Appeals; that decision is looming.

Brewster filed suit against the port in Superior Court on July 22 for six alleged violations of the state Public Records Act; Brewster alleges the port failed to provide requested records on time, or provided records that were incomplete. Issa filed similar lawsuits on July 9 and Oct. 14.

Commissioner Pete DeBoer, who chose not to run for reelection, lamented the conflicts and said he believes the conflicts could have been diffused early on.

“It sure could have. We’re involved in lawsuits and evictions and appeals, and I’m reluctant to say anything public about it, [but] I think it could have been better,” DeBoer said. “We’ve just received another lawsuit today and we have two [other] lawsuits pending.”

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April 24, 2014: Port, business dispute marina float

May 31, 2014: Kingston Adventures told to vacate port

July 28, 2014: Port of Kingston files lawsuit to evict Kingston Adventures

Aug. 23, 2014: Owners of Kingston Adventures appeal decision; could pay more than $10K in fees

April 10, 2015: Federal lawsuit dropped; Kingston Adventures still appealing its eviction from port

April 10, 2015: DeBoer says he won’t seek third term on Kingston Port Commission