How Bartlesville is working to recruit new employees

Andy Dossett, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
·2 min read

Bartlesville City Council voted unanimously to approve the allocation of $500,000 from the Economic Development Fund to the Bartlesville Development Authority to expand the Resident Recruitment Program.

Chris Batchelder, BDP vice-president, spoke about the program's origin. "In 2020, and largely at the suggestion of our major employers, the BDA tentatively stepped out of our traditional box by redirecting employer incentives (traditionally $10,000 net per/new job) directly to the employee upon purchasing a home in Bartlesville."

David Wood, BDA president, told City Council members since starting the program, it has resulted in 17 new residents contributing to the community.

Wood summed up his reasons for the expansion by saying, "Given now we have experience with the program and every one of our primary industry employers are competing for talent in the woefully insufficient labor pool... Why not open the program up for all our primary industries so if 17 new well-employed residents are good, why wouldn't 170 be ten times better?"

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The program allows $10,000 cash upon the purchase of a primary residence within the City of Bartlesville, $20,000 cash assistance for the new custom construction of a primary residence within the City of Bartlesville or $10,000 cash assistance for the new custom construction of a primary residence outside the city limits but within the Bartlesville School District.

The Resident Recruitment Program will now also give new residents choosing to rent $2,500 with the remaining $7,500 available if they decide to purchase a home.

The BDA predicts the additional funding will result in 100 new residents with a mix of homeowners and renters costing $5,000 each.

Wood mentioned to the Council that the BDA isn't geared or staffed to handle a more extensive program. The Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce also volunteered to manage the expanded program.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville council approves $500K for Resident Recruitment Program