Bartlesville city leaders are helping businesses recruit employees through a program that gives cash incentives to anyone willing to move to the city.

The city believes putting money directly in the pockets of employees could in turn, increase city revenue.

The Bartlesville Development Authority has long been offering incentives to try and lure businesses to Bartlesville, but those businesses need employees in town.

VP Chris Batchelder said many people choose to commute or not take the job at all. He's hoping the Resident Recruitment Program changes that narrative.

"I've traveled a lot. I'm a professional pilot also by training, and I said this is the best part of the world to be in right here in Northeast Oklahoma," said Warren Peck, President of Phoenix Rising.

Aviation was hit hard by the pandemic, but the need for personal and corporate travel is taking off once again.

Phoenix Rising President Warren Peck has 19 employees and is looking to add more within six months.

"It's the people that make the business," said Peck.

However, he's struggling to attract qualified mechanics.

"When you talk to them coming to Bartlesville, they first want to say where is Bartlesville?" said Peck.

On Monday, Bartlesville City Council approved a proposal to allocate up to $150,000 from the Economic Development Fund to assist Peck's business with hangar rental fees at the Bartlesville Airport.

The company has also been approved for the Residential Recruitment Program, which provides moving incentive for employees offering $10,000 to buy or $20,000 to build a home within city limits. If they choose to live within the school district, they can get $10,000.

"We've already hired three mechanics, three more people in the last two weeks just because word of this program is starting to get out," said Peck.

ConocoPhillips is also part of the recruitment program as it relocates many employees to Bartlesville from the midland area.

"The more people that live in your community, the more jobs you move to your community, the more retail and other businesses take notice of that happening and it just, it grows by a factor that, you know, you can't even really measure by just looking at one job," said Chris Batchelder, VP of Business Development for the Bartlesville Development Authority.