Those who frequent Facebook might recently have been following a page titled “Jefferson County Washington,” which includes information on county government and community events.

What those who have “liked” the page may not realize is that the page is not maintained by Jefferson County, because the county does not have an officially sanctioned Facebook page.

County administrator Philip Morley confirmed that the page is operated by Joe D’Amico, CEO of Security Services Northwest and president of Fort Discovery, a training facility.

Morley said that when D’Amico stopped by the Jefferson County Courthouse March 7 on an unrelated matter, D’Amico confirmed that he maintained the Facebook page.

“I expressed the county’s concerns that the site could give the appearance that it was being maintained by the county,” Morley said. “This would be a problem, because there might be content on the page that the county would not choose to post, or would not want to be attributed to them.”

Morley said he told D’Amico that residents might be trying to get in touch with the county government through the Facebook page, in which case their communications would not be delivered to their intended recipients.

“I asked Mr. D’Amico if he would be willing to make certain changes, to distinguish his page from the county,” Morley said. “We have no interest in what he does with his personal Facebook page, only that it not be mistaken with our identity. To be fair, he did express a desire to be cooperative.”

Since emailing D’Amico a number of specific requested changes, Morley credited D’Amico with making some of them, although others remain.

D’Amico, who declined comment about the Facebook site, has been at odds with the county in the past. In 2009, D’Amico won a $41,515 judgment against the county and Commissioner David Sullivan in an open records lawsuit stemming from a battle over permits for his Security Services Northwest company.

PROSECUTOR ASKED

Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Haas said his office has looked into the page, but does not expect to take any action.

“We’re checking to see if it violates any Facebook rules,” Haas said. “Other than that, the First Amendment is pretty powerful.”

Haas cited the anonymity of the internet as the reason why he wasn’t able to confirm who operated the page, but Haas did request that whoever operates the page extend the county the courtesy of clarifying that the page does not officially speak for, nor is it run by, the county government.

Beyond that, Haas deemed the page a relatively low priority, since the prosecutor’s office has no shortage of pressing cases. When asked if the county might start an official page of its own, Haas likewise noted the limits of staffing and time.

“Past a certain point, it becomes a question of, do you want to do this, or do you want our people to be out doing their jobs?” Haas said. “Even as a collateral duty, it’s going to get dumped in the laps of people who already have so much on their plates.”

Although organizations such as Enjoy Port Townsend and the Port Townsend Main Street Program do have official Facebook pages, the City of Port Townsend itself does not.

ON THE PAGE

The Jefferson County Facebook page had 2,045 “likes” and 2, 059 people following it as of March 28.

Its photos include Jefferson County Courthouse, complete with its clock tower, as well as the Port Townsend Boat Haven, the City Council chambers, Fort Worden State Park, pastoral and historic photos of East Jefferson County, agendas for board meetings of the Jefferson County commissioners and maps of their respective districts, and promotional fliers for other community events.

Its text posts include weather alerts, reprints of state laws on subjects such as firearms regulations, meeting notices for the Jefferson County Public Health and Public Hospital District Board of Commissioners, and questions such as “Should Jefferson County issue business licenses?” and “What do you think about salmon restoration?”