All employment rights and employee benefits authorized under section 11, chapter 63-1447,
Laws of Florida, as amended, are hereby confirmed, ratified, and continued, notwithstanding
the repeal of said chapter 63-1447, Laws of Florida, as amended. Effective October
1, 2001, in order to preserve the rights of employees of the former Jacksonville Port
Authority to continue participation in the Florida Retirement System pursuant to chapter
121, Florida Statutes, the authority created by this act (and its predecessor act)
shall be a county agency and employees of the authority shall participate in the Florida
Retirement System, notwithstanding any law to the contrary. Effective October 1, 2001,
those employees of the Jacksonville Port Authority who were assigned to any activity
related to the operation of the marine facilities shall become employees of the Jacksonville
Port Authority created by this act (and its predecessor act). Effective October 1,
2001, central administrative employees shall be employed by either the authority created
by this act (and its predecessor act) or the Jacksonville Airport Authority, or as
otherwise agreed by both the authority and the Jacksonville Airport Authority. It
is expressly provided that none of those employees of the former Jacksonville Port
Authority who remain with the authority created by this act (and its predecessor act)
shall lose any rights or benefits of whatsoever kind or nature afforded to them by
any law, ordinance, collective bargaining agreement, or existing policy or plan, including,
but not limited to, pension benefits by virtue of the change in corporate structure.
In order to effectively implement the foregoing, the authority shall perform all functions
with regard to its own employees that prior to the operation of the two authorities
created by this act (and its predecessor act) were performed by the former Jacksonville
Port Authority. In order to specifically preserve the rights of employees of the former
Jacksonville Port Authority to continue participation in the Florida Retirement System,
pursuant to chapter 121, Florida Statutes, the authority created by this act (and
its predecessor act) shall be a county authority and employees of this authority who
are currently participating in the Florida Retirement System and all employees of
the authority after October 1, 2001, shall participate in the Florida Retirement System.
