Florida HB 4105: Port St. Joe Port Authority, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, and Liberty Counties

Bill Text

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An act relating to the Port St. Joe Port Authority, 2
Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, and Liberty Counties; 3
amending chapter 2000-488, Laws of Florida; expanding 4
the Port St. Joe Port Authority to include Franklin, 5
Gadsden, and Liberty Counties; revising membership of 6
the governing body of the authority; providing for the 7
selection of a chair of the governing body; providing 8
for transition; providing for staggered terms; 9
providing an effective date. 10
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
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Section 1. Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 and subsection 14
(12) of section 8 of section 3 of chapter 2000-488, Laws of 15
Florida, are amended to read: 16
Section 1. Creation; boundaries.—There is hereby created a 17
body corporate to be known as the Port St. Joe Port Authority 18
with the corporate powers to sue and be sued and with the 19
additional powers specified herein. Said authority shall be a 20
public agency for the development of commerce and the port of 21
Port St. Joe. The boundaries of the Port St. Joe Port Authority 22
shall embrace and include all of Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, and 23
Liberty Counties. 24
Section 2. Governing Body.— 25

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(1) The Port St. Joe Port Authority shall consist of six 26
(6) five (5) commissioners who shall constitute said authority. 27
The said six (6) five (5) members shall be appointed by the 28
Governor, with one (1) member who is a resident of the City of 29
Port St. Joe to serve as chair of the authority, two (2) members 30
who are residents of Gulf County, and one (1) member from each 31
of Franklin, Gadsden, and Liberty Counties who shall be a 32
resident of the respective county. from the date this act 33
becomes a law, the first appointments shall be three (3) for 34
four (4) years and two (2) for two (2) years. Thereafter All 35
appointments shall be for a term of four (4) years from the 36
expiration of the previous term and all vacancies shall be 37
filled by the Governor for the unexpired term. No commissioner 38
shall be an officer or employee of the City of Port St. Joe, 39
Franklin County, Gadsden County, Florida, the County of Gulf 40
County, Liberty County, or the State of Florida, excepting 41
members of the militia or notaries public. No more than two (2) 42
of the commissioners shall be persons who are primarily engaged 43
in the maritime business, and no person shall be eligible for 44
appointment as commissioner except freeholders of the City of 45
Port St. Joe or Gulf County, Florida. The commissioners 46
constituting the Port St. Joe Port Authority shall select one 47
(1) of their members as chair and the term of office of the 48
chair shall be two (2) years from the date of his or her 49
selection. The commissioners shall receive no compensation for 50

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their services but the authority is hereby allowed travel and 51
other expenses which shall be paid as other expenses. Three (3) 52
commissioners shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of 53
conducting business, exercising its powers, and for all other 54
purposes. 55
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the 56
offices and terms of all members of the authority as of the 57
effective date of this act shall end as of the effective date of 58
this act, but such members may continue to serve until a 59
successor in office is appointed by the Governor. In order to 60
provide for staggered terms, one (1) member who is a resident of 61
Gulf County and one (1) member who is a resident of Gadsden 62
County initially appointed to the authority after the effective 63
date of this act shall serve two (2) year terms. 64
Section 3. Employees.—The Port St. Joe Port Authority is 65
hereby empowered to employ an executive director of the 66
authority whose compensation shall be fixed by resolution of the 67
commissioners of said authority. And the said authority is 68
empowered to employ its own counsel, secretary, technical 69
experts, and such other employees, permanent and temporary, as 70
it may require, and it is empowered to determine the 71
qualifications, duties, and compensation of such employees. None 72
of the said employees shall be covered by any local civil 73
service laws now or hereafter in effect with respect to 74

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