feat(ecosystem): adopt hub-core dependency and CI pin gate (CORE-WP-0009)

Import slugify_or_default from hub-core, add contract tests, vendor hub-core in
Docker/Forgejo CI, document metadata isolation and pagination deferral, and
align INTENT/SCOPE with three-repo stack.

docs/specs/README.md

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ This directory is the specification map for Core Hub. The specs are intentionall
 - [Operator UI Rebuild Backlog](operator-ui-rebuild-backlog.md) - gated first-screen backlog after API/CLI proof
 - [whynot UI Adapter](whynot-ui-adapter.md) - design-system consumption and adapter rules
 - [Testing, Release, and Migration](testing-release-and-migration.md) - verification, deployment, and cutover gates
+- [Pagination adoption](pagination-adoption.md) - hub-core utils deferral and adoption trigger
 
 ## Contract Artifacts
 

docs/specs/core-hub-architecture.md

@@ -44,3 +44,5 @@ Build the production interaction framework as a small set of explicit layers rat
 - Domain hubs own their domain data and domain-specific runtime logic.
 - Credential systems keep owning secrets; Core Hub records non-secret evidence and routing metadata only.
 - State Hub remains active until Core Hub has a proven compatibility and migration path.
+- SQLAlchemy metadata stays separate from hub-core; see `hub-core/docs/metadata-isolation.md`.
+- Shared slug/pagination utilities come from `hub_core.utils`; framework tables stay in `core_hub.models`.

docs/specs/data-model.md

@@ -62,7 +62,16 @@ consumers need during bootstrap and smoke testing:
 - Store only hashes, prefixes, labels, and non-secret lifecycle metadata.
 - Record row counts, relationship checks, and fixture replays for every migration batch.
 
-## Open Questions
+## Resolved decisions (2026-07-09, CUST-WP-0057)
 
-- Whether Core Hub owns the canonical workplan task tables or continues reading from State Hub until cutover.
-- Whether Inter-Hub admin-only entities should be migrated as historical records or redesigned as Core Hub-native resources.
+- **Workplan/task tables:** State Hub remains canonical. Core Hub may index and
+  display workplan data via HTTP ingestion later; it does not fork tables in
+  this consolidation lane. See `the-custodian/docs/hub-ecosystem-architecture.md`.
+- **Inter-Hub admin entities:** Migrated as historical records where consumers
+  depend on identifiers; deferred protected surfaces stay empty compatibility
+  collections until a consumer requires them.
+
+## Open questions
+
+- Whether Core Hub adds a read-model ingestion path from State Hub progress/messages
+  (`STATE-WP-0074`) or remains framework-only for coordination data.

docs/specs/pagination-adoption.md

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# Pagination Adoption — hub-core utils in Core Hub
+
+**Updated:** 2026-07-09  
+**Workplan:** `CORE-WP-0009-T05`  
+**Decision:** Defer DB pagination; document trigger for adoption
+
+---
+
+## Current state
+
+Core Hub `/api/v2` list endpoints (`hubs`, `hub-capability-manifests`,
+`api-consumers`, `widgets`, `interaction-events`) load full result sets and wrap
+them with an in-memory helper:
+
+```python
+def page(data: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    return {"data": data, "count": len(data)}
+```
+
+Production table counts remain small (bootstrap/smoke scale). Inter-Hub
+compatibility fixtures expect `{data, count}` without `limit`/`offset` query
+params today.
+
+## hub-core utility
+
+`hub_core.utils.pagination` provides sync SQLAlchemy `PageParams` and
+`apply_pagination()` for `Select` queries. Core Hub uses **async**
+SQLAlchemy (`AsyncSession.execute(select(...))`).
+
+## Decision
+
+**Defer adoption** until either:
+
+1. A list endpoint needs server-side `limit`/`offset` (or cursor) for performance, or
+2. Inter-Hub compatibility spec adds optional pagination query parameters.
+
+When triggered:
+
+- Add `hub_core.utils.pagination_async` (or equivalent) with the same bounds as
+  `PageParams` (limit 1–1000, offset ≥ 0).
+- Apply to list routes before `session.execute`.
+- Extend contract fixtures and ops-hub smokes for paginated responses.
+
+## Non-action
+
+Do not import sync `apply_pagination` into async routes without an async adapter.
+Do not change response shape until compatibility spec records the addition.