Employees, advisory board, peace officers.

(1) A port authority shall employ and fix the qualifications, duties, and compensation of any employees and enter into contracts for any services that may be required to conduct the business of the port authority, and may appoint an advisory board, which shall serve without compensation.

(2) An employee of a port authority is a public employee for the purposes of collective bargaining under chapter 20.

(3) (a) A port authority may provide for the administration and enforcement of the laws of the state by employing peace officers who shall have all the powers conferred by law on peace officers of this state with regard to the apprehension of violators upon all property under its control within and without the port authority. The peace officers may seek the assistance of other appropriate law enforcement officers to enforce port authority rules and maintain order.

(3) (b) Peace officers employed by a port authority shall meet all requirements established for police officers under chapter 400 and shall be considered police officers for the purposes of chapter 411.

(3) (c) Peace officers employed by a port authority shall serve as a peace officer force with respect to the property, grounds, buildings, equipment, and facilities under the control of the port authority, to prevent hijacking of aircraft or watercraft, protect the property of the authority and the property of others located thereon, suppress nuisances and disturbances and breaches of the peace, and enforce laws and the rules of the port authority for the preservation of good order. Peace officers are vested with the same powers of arrest as peace officers under section 804.7.

(4) If an employee of a political subdivision comprising the port authority is transferred to a comparable position with the port authority, the employee is entitled to suffer no loss in pay, pension, fringe benefits, or other benefits and shall be entitled to a comparable rank and grade as the employee’s prior position. Sick leave, longevity, and vacation time accrued to such employees shall be credited to them as employees of the port authority. All rights and accruals of such employees as members of the Iowa public employees’ retirement system pursuant to chapter 97B and the retirement system for police officers pursuant to chapter 411 shall remain in force and shall be automatically transferred to the port authority.

2005 Acts, ch 150, §95; 2006 Acts, ch 1030, §8