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Despite progress and achievements in 2008, the Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership board still sees the organization at a crossroads.

With limited funds and a part-time director, the group is not sure it can work on attracting a new, large employer to the area while also strengthening and stimulating existing businesses and local entrepreneurs.

Director Darcy Trask presented that challenge to the board at its annual planning retreat Tuesday morning.

"Conceptually, we should be doing both," Trask said. "The reality is, we have to prioritize."

Board responses were mixed.

Board member Jay Oxley, who owns TLC Carpet, said EDP should focus on new businesses to grow the local economy. Everything else at this point, he said, is extraneous.

"I think we're putting too much on our plate," he said to the group.

Oxley added that it is "very important" for the community to think about how to replace coal industry jobs when those resources run out.

"If we have one mine shut down, we need to find some way to stabilize this (community) because that would be absolutely devastating for us," he said.

However, when board members chose their three 2009 priorities, five members spotlighted helping local businesses, compared to four who named "hunting" for a new primary-job business among their top goals.

There were a few suggestions about how to handle pressure to "do it all," as one board member said.

For one, Trask said she would not be able to move to full-time, but she would like to stay on with EDP.

Board president Scott Cook, among others, suggested the best solution might be to hire a second part-time director, possibly as an assistant. It was unanimously agreed that EDP can best serve the community if its staff had more resources and that Trask has done a good job since she came on earlier this year.

Cook said two part-time staff members would be able to split the work and develop specialties, with one trying to draw new businesses to Moffat County and the other working with existing businesses and local startups.

Cook also wondered whether EDP would naturally be pushed in one direction or the other.

For now, he said the group needs to continue to look for new jobs to bring into the community. EDP should develop an organized sales pitch and keep discussing government incentives with politicians and residents.

"We need to pursue that until the end of the road," Cook said.

But that may not be possible in six months if the economy tanks, he added.

In that case, if there are no businesses looking to expand or relocate, EDP should turn its resources toward local growth, Cook said.

"Our targets may have to change a little bit, as the economy does," he said.

The group plans to revisit the discussion at its regular meeting at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 17 at the Holiday Inn of Craig. It is free and open to the public.