Communications committee authorizes photographer for new Plymouth Township website

The Plymouth Township Communications Advisory Committee voted to authorize hiring a photographer to supply images for the township's forthcoming website, approving the expense and directing staff to finalize scope and timing.

Joanna Sherpin, who told the committee she had contacted a photographer who covered the township’s Pride event, said the vendor quoted "about $2,000" to shoot both staged department portraits and unstaged images of township buildings, parks and infrastructure. Committee members discussed trimming hours, staging sessions to limit time on site and using a large set of digital images to select a smaller rotating gallery for the website.

The committee emphasized the advisory nature of its role on the site’s aesthetics and photos while township departments remain responsible for supplying text content. Members debated how many photos to commission and how many to display, with several suggesting capturing a large number of raw images (e.g., ~200) from which five to ten standout photos would be chosen for rotator use, and then updated seasonally.

On a motion to "move forward with the photographer for the website" and to authorize work up to $2,000, the committee held a voice vote and approved the authorization; the transcript records a voice vote and a statement that the motion "passes," but no roll-call or named tally is recorded.

Committee members said the project budget can absorb the photographer expense and asked staff to negotiate the final scope and schedule so summer and fall images can be captured before the site's expected early-next-year launch. The committee also asked to review proofs and coordinate portraits for council and department heads if the township chooses to include them.

The committee will report the authorization as an information item to the council and asked staff to confirm payment and scheduling details with the photographer.