[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6656298,"mediaKeyId","5334288-5a6cccba5a0faf6ade011c7cc1abf303","parentId",5334288,"title","Colleton County hears pitch for HBCU-led ‘smart cities’ program; county asked to join pilot cohort","audioSeconds",690,"startMs",1436000,"endMs",2126000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334288-5a6cccba5a0faf6ade011c7cc1abf303&start=1436&end=2126","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334288-5a6cccba5a0faf6ade011c7cc1abf303/thumbnail_1436000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6656298/Colleton-County/South-Carolina/Colleton-County-hears-pitch-for-HBCU-led-smart-cities-program-county-asked-to-join-pilot-cohort","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656298-40e6e483338fc08032cb504e87ad19f0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442908&Signature=R19GD3FyGlwJ~YVtoo8dkf1LJshMIgglzBoBQteWZ7iDSugd~9SJP4aMw0CqwYAOfQkve~ERZ714fX3rYTfsda4vsSfmLcq~sDNLo5MghFvZybvpQn7XiKekABXuyk7XSlv9iDrx09TDosJdnPIG1aerjuZ6Lz2Vsdll4uXphiHgCDyPHDGknUtzWAyHQbKzotw0h2An9YrypAhzzfqN55a0mylezr6x9n3LXCYrY01jL4-TpC8Otrkmt91X-h-qOVgbHSvYnyj4WOrBF8Qq-wyMu2ZInTcNoOkSY6fuGwxw6daRrE~7ggP3EsXgRZo1OZfDwaNAE3lkQI9klvFOJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Colleton County","date","2025-07-08T19:55:12Z","article","Pathway Community Foundation representatives told Colleton County Council on July 8 that their HBCU Smart Cities program can bring student teams and technical partners to build prototype solutions for local problems.

“A big part of what we do is building tangible products to what we call pressing and real issues,” said Aiden Desai, co‑founder and director of partnerships for Pathway Community Foundation. He told the council the program focuses on small and mid‑size jurisdictions and pairs HBCU students with local officials to produce implementable prototypes.

The foundation described a multi‑month schedule beginning in July with workshops, a project‑scoping phase that produces a “problem objective statement,” an August kickoff with a city point‑of‑contact who will act as a liaison, September site visits in Colleton County, and a November grand finale where teams present working prototypes. Kevin Femengia, co‑founder and director of innovation, said fellows typically include developers, project managers, business analysts and designers and that the program has produced tools for pedestrian‑safety mapping, resource‑finder chatbots and AI‑assisted pipe assessment in other municipalities.

Program cost and timeline were clearly stated. Desai said the R&D onboarding and cohort participation cost is $10,000 per city, with a $5,000 deposit requested by Aug. 15 to secure curriculum partners and staffing. He said Pathway will work with local staff to limit burden on city employees and provide a “smart city coach” to liaise with student teams.

Council members asked whether the foundation has worked with counties; Desai responded the group has worked primarily with cities and with Charlotte as its largest client, and that this would be its first county partner in South Carolina if Colleton participates. No formal vote or contract discussion followed the presentation; the item was a staff appearance and informational briefing.

The foundation listed partners and technology tools used in prior cohorts including ArcGIS and third‑party APIs; Desai also said the program draws students from Benedict College and other HBCUs in South Carolina. He said about 500 students applied to the program nationally over three years and roughly 80 fellows had participated to date.

Colleton County Council did not take action on the presentation; members asked follow‑up questions and thanked the presenters.

The council packet will be updated with a copy of the foundation’s slide deck if requested by staff.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Colleton County Council Meeting July 8th, 2025 6:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Pathway Community Foundation representatives presented an HBCU‑centered Smart Cities program to Colleton County Council on July 8, proposing a July–November cohort that would pair student teams and a county liaison to build prototypes addressing transportation, water, public safety, waste management and sustainability.","taxTitle","Colleton County, South Carolina","taxId",71096,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6656288,"Colleton County Council approves comprehensive plan contract, ordinances and several resolutions",58,2466000,2524000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334288-5a6cccba5a0faf6ade011c7cc1abf303&start=2466&end=2524","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334288-5a6cccba5a0faf6ade011c7cc1abf303/thumbnail_2466000.jpg","/articles/6656288/Colleton-County/South-Carolina/Colleton-County-Council-approves-comprehensive-plan-contract-ordinances-and-several-resolutions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656288-a96db4786ae5af283fb568cf97d66e07/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442908&Signature=Ehl-NupvM8nAiF93KLlHjYf94Si8ayCqgsX-V0iOlcQr5ZFI~Xv~HxGwMei8kPPYVG-9IupL0NWrQDDxZi~7mYzh~EFAAaPUX5-mU-iDXxtnDsB1NYBhIZEZNllkU7Kq-lzulD0stKWfl4rog2AgAfgGjpNx4XT~q9Kp4uy9f9OoydxPZLsS3FAdudxELv7BJ-l57v-qT29ad5nsQNCmuTsOBKNQuJ4xORlifTtPoNEZKTiV7gPw0j5RLX4lTSeVfhZIdU8zUn1p~uwEbdytmbzfstZw4kkLfbBnSnXhYk40aKfxY6gQ7pCFotwtKkfJ3ku5U3wCWxgxSET4uZ0yTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Colleton County Council on July 8 approved multiple legislative and administrative items, including a contract for a county comprehensive plan update and several ordinances and resolutions.

Comprehensive plan contract: The council approved Resolution 25‑R‑35 to award a contract for planning services to update the county comprehensive plan. Councilman Taylor moved to amend the motion to limit the contract to the comprehensive plan update (phase 1) and to add two additional public input meetings in phase 2; the amended amount was stated as $73,000. The motion carried unanimously.

Truck and bus restrictions ordinance: Council proceeded with second reading and approved Ordinance 25‑0‑06 to amend Title 10, Chapter 10.04 of the Colleton County Code to prohibit through truck traffic on specified improved county roads. No members of the public spoke on the ordinance during the public hearing; the council voted to close the public hearing and to adopt the ordinance on second reading.

Fee‑in‑lieu and special source revenue credit agreement (Project Star): The council held second reading and approved Ordinance 25‑0‑07 authorizing a fee‑in‑lieu and special source revenue credit agreement between Colleton County and Banks Construction Company (referred to in the packet as Project Star). Council asked staff to provide a fee schedule and a breakdown showing how fees will be divided (for example, with the school district) before third reading.

Other resolutions: The council approved a set of routine resolutions, including:
- Resolution 25‑R‑42: Award of engineering services for a water and wastewater feasibility evaluation (Thomas and Hutton Engineering Company) — motion moved; vote outcome recorded as approved in the meeting sequence.
- Resolution 25‑R‑43: Declaration and authorization for sale of surplus equipment in accordance with county policy — approved.
- Resolution 25‑R‑44: Waiver of various fees for the Summer 2025 Jerusalem Project home repair program — approved.
- Resolution 25‑R‑S46: Appointments to fill board vacancies (including the Colleton County Board of Appeals and Assessment) — approved.

Meeting motions and votes were recorded as “all in favor” for these items; council characterized the votes as unanimous where noted in the record. For items where the transcript did not record individual council vote tallies or names, the minutes list the action without member‑by‑member vote records.

The council went into executive session later in the meeting for economic development and personnel and contractual matters and returned with no on‑the‑record actions following that session. The meeting adjourned after the executive session.

","Colleton County Council on July 8 approved a contract for the county comprehensive plan update, adopted truck‑traffic restrictions on county roads, advanced a fee‑in‑lieu agreement for Banks Construction (\"Project Star\"), and passed several administrative resolutions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6656293,"Colleton County resident says she was denied chance to respond after Cottageville dog‑welfare dispute",124,2274000,2398000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5334288-5a6cccba5a0faf6ade011c7cc1abf303&start=2274&end=2398","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5334288-5a6cccba5a0faf6ade011c7cc1abf303/thumbnail_2274000.jpg","/articles/6656293/Colleton-County/South-Carolina/Colleton-County-resident-says-she-was-denied-chance-to-respond-after-Cottageville-dogwelfare-dispute","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656293-4248eb20144a8205970e928d96604bec/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442908&Signature=Ds5HkAZEfJIO7w3V48YNE~UR3f1f1-c-C2A6dQ23C~CFLATx3yQjJvz~qGkFBTmCNhOLqiuu4hoWIXZN4P7041IMZ~Vz-P0zfzVbXqM5Ut3WdytAeZ~y-i5lnmVv5omzOoTEVohElHRsxjL~v1l0ntQWTXY4QlqgX6FQLdwo2zAPxxJbHfFyHwFbpgOJ5t-CEm4YqWZoDDs66-yxtkGEFjcTXvkvMcJ30ru1Dc3HD3tD1NovEKg75sUqGcB6RotSyG94oxxzaxLsRhFQoTmu7ujSnWF4c7G9BbetcuZBMry8-oQD-py3OZ4PgXqKEwTYIEKXxyaWp5q0kvDdPuaN0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rebecca Hamilton, a Colleton County resident, told Colleton County Council on July 8 that she was prevented from responding to public statements about an incident she says she witnessed in Cottageville.

\"I was at the Cottageville Library when another patron and I noticed the dog in distress,\" Hamilton said. She told the council the animal was left in a camper in a police station parking lot without water and was visibly uncomfortable in the heat. Hamilton said the station was locked and no one answered when she tried to alert officers.

Hamilton said she later encountered the mayor, the town treasurer and another unidentified person. She said the Cottageville police chief arrived visibly agitated and threatened her with arrest rather than addressing her concerns. Hamilton said she asked the mayor twice to de‑escalate but received no response.

\"I was present at the [Cottageville] meeting and requested to speak, but I was told I could not speak because I live just outside the town limits,\" Hamilton told the council. \"As a county resident, that was not only frustrating, it was disheartening. I was directly involved in the incident, yet I was denied the basic fairness of being allowed to respond.\"

Hamilton said the police chief was given 20 minutes at the town council meeting to present his version of events and that she was not allowed a similar opportunity to correct or respond to public accusations. She asked the county to uphold fairness and transparency in public proceedings and to consider that county residents may be directly affected by town actions.

Council members did not take action on Hamilton’s remarks during the meeting. Hamilton’s statement identifies the town of Cottageville, the town mayor, the town treasurer and the Cottageville police chief as parties in her account; the transcript does not include on‑the‑record responses from those town officials at the Colleton County meeting.

","Rebecca Hamilton told Colleton County Council on July 8 that she witnessed a dog in distress at the Cottageville police station and that, after reporting it, she was denied an opportunity to speak at a subsequent Cottageville town council meeting because she lives outside town limits.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Colleton County hears pitch for HBCU-led ‘smart cities’ program; county asked to join pilot cohort

Colleton County Council approves comprehensive plan contract, ordinances and several resolutions

Colleton County resident says she was denied chance to respond after Cottageville dog‑welfare dispute