diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d9e645d..ebb9386 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -171,4 +171,11 @@ data/failed/
 data/trash/
 data/gtfs/
 data/tmp/
-data/agencyconf
\ No newline at end of file
+data/agencyconf
+
+
+#these files are under app/static but they get copied to the outside directory on startup
+logging.conf
+config
+static/*
+templates/*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5aae476
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+recursive-include amarillo/static/ *
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/amarillo/app/main.py b/amarillo/app/main.py
index 746ece7..dd38764 100644
--- a/amarillo/app/main.py
+++ b/amarillo/app/main.py
@@ -6,14 +6,19 @@ import uvicorn
 import mimetypes
 from starlette.staticfiles import StaticFiles
 
+logging.config.fileConfig('logging.conf', disable_existing_loggers=False)
+logger = logging.getLogger("main")
+
+from amarillo.app.utils.utils import copy_static_files
+#this has to run before app.configuration is imported, otherwise we get validation error for config because the config file is not copied yet
+copy_static_files(["conf", "static", "templates", "logging.conf", "config"]) 
+
 import amarillo.plugins
 from amarillo.app.configuration import configure_services, configure_admin_token
 from amarillo.app.routers import carpool, agency, agencyconf, region
 from fastapi import FastAPI
 from amarillo.app.views import home
 
-logging.config.fileConfig('logging.conf', disable_existing_loggers=False)
-logger = logging.getLogger("main")
 
 # https://pydantic-docs.helpmanual.io/usage/settings/
 # from amarillo.app.views import home
diff --git a/amarillo/app/utils/utils.py b/amarillo/app/utils/utils.py
index 51a48e6..1e6bde3 100644
--- a/amarillo/app/utils/utils.py
+++ b/amarillo/app/utils/utils.py
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
 import os
 import re
+import os
+import shutil
+from pathlib import Path
+import logging
+
 from datetime import datetime, date, timedelta
 from pyproj import Geod
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 def assert_folder_exists(foldername):
     if not os.path.isdir(foldername):
         os.makedirs(foldername)
@@ -37,4 +44,27 @@ def geodesic_distance_in_m(coord1, coord2):
     geod = Geod(ellps="WGS84")
     lons = [coord1[0], coord2[0]]
     lats = [coord1[1], coord2[1]]
-    return geod.line_lengths(lons, lats)[0]
\ No newline at end of file
+    return geod.line_lengths(lons, lats)[0]
+
+
+def copy_static_files(files_and_dirs_to_copy):
+    amarillo_dir = Path(__file__).parents[2]
+    source_dir = os.path.join(amarillo_dir, "static")
+
+    destination_dir = os.getcwd()
+
+    for item in files_and_dirs_to_copy:
+        source_path = os.path.join(source_dir, item)
+        destination_path = os.path.join(destination_dir, item)
+
+        if os.path.exists(destination_path):
+            # logger.info(f"{item} already exists")
+            continue
+
+        if os.path.isfile(source_path):
+            shutil.copy2(source_path, destination_path)
+            logger.info(f"Copied {item} to {destination_path}")
+
+        if os.path.isdir(source_path):
+            shutil.copytree(source_path, destination_path)
+            logger.info(f"Copied directory {item} and its contents to {destination_path}")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config b/amarillo/static/config
similarity index 100%
rename from config
rename to amarillo/static/config
diff --git a/logging.conf b/amarillo/static/logging.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from logging.conf
rename to amarillo/static/logging.conf
diff --git a/static/css/docs.css b/amarillo/static/static/css/docs.css
similarity index 100%
rename from static/css/docs.css
rename to amarillo/static/static/css/docs.css
diff --git a/static/css/theme.css b/amarillo/static/static/css/theme.css
similarity index 100%
rename from static/css/theme.css
rename to amarillo/static/static/css/theme.css
diff --git a/static/img/cloud.png b/amarillo/static/static/img/cloud.png
similarity index 100%
rename from static/img/cloud.png
rename to amarillo/static/static/img/cloud.png
diff --git a/static/img/favicon.ico b/amarillo/static/static/img/favicon.ico
similarity index 100%
rename from static/img/favicon.ico
rename to amarillo/static/static/img/favicon.ico
diff --git a/templates/home/index.html b/amarillo/static/templates/home/index.html
similarity index 100%
rename from templates/home/index.html
rename to amarillo/static/templates/home/index.html
diff --git a/templates/shared/layout.html b/amarillo/static/templates/shared/layout.html
similarity index 100%
rename from templates/shared/layout.html
rename to amarillo/static/templates/shared/layout.html
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 87eb960..984a8eb 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "amarillo-core"
-version = "0.0.7"
+version = "0.0.8"
 dependencies = [
     "fastapi[all]==0.104.0",
     "geopandas==0.14",