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Addressing Hillsboro Business Association members Wednesday, Gail Mooney reported that the Traill County Economic Development Commission was seeking input from business leaders across the county.

Recently appointed to the commission, Mooney, a professional photographer who has a rural Cummings studio, explained how the TCEDC was in the process of reorganizing.

While the county economic development board is defining the role of the director and commission members, TCEDC is encouraging business owners to contact county EDC board members with their suggestions on what direction the board should take in developing commerce in the county.

We want to move forward with what the people want, Mooney explained.

HBA members meeting Wednesday at the Main Street Community Center welcomed the invite by the county’s economic development board.

The TCEDC board meets in Hillsboro Wednesday (April 16) at city hall. Mooney invited HBA members to sit in on the Wednesday evening meeting.

Mark Forseth, former TCEDC member, briefly detailed the history of the county economic board and how it transitioned from “chasing smoke stacks” to encouraging and helping local businesses expand.

Mooney said the TCEDC board was not abandoning local businesses, but the commission was exploring the short-and long-range benefits of taking a new direction.

The “nuts and bolts” of the discussions have focused on “moving forward,” Mooney explained.

“It’s exciting to see a new interest in economic development,” said Ang Kritzberger, who has worked closely in the recent years with the Hillsboro Economic Development Corporation. Kritzberger today is executive director of the Hillsboro Medical Center Foundation.

Wednesday’s engaging conversation among the 17 HBA members touched on many topics, including efforts by president Teran Brown to establish a newsletter telling of the organization’s activities and those of the membership.

The information provided in the newsletter that will be included in brochures being produced will prove “valuable” to both new home shoppers and owners and current Hillsboro residents.

Brown, with help from the city, also has hopes for re-hanging the welcome banners on the street poles. The banners, ravaged by the extreme weather conditions in the last two years, were recently taken down and an inventory was conducted of the surviving banners. The banners, which will reappear on Hillsboro’s streets, were cleaned by Michael Bishop’s staff at the Sports Bar and Grill.

Brown reported that Hillsboro had a “awesome presence” at the recent Grand Forks home show.

HBA members have agreed to work the Hillsboro booth at the Fargo and Grand Forks home shows this year.

Dan Christianson reported that more than 200 were served at the annual HBA free pancake and sausage breakfast Saturday at the Main Street Community Center.

Again, everything went smoothly, Christianson said.

The long-time business association member and former treasurer thanked the many HBA members who helped with the Saturday morning breakfast.