Classified employees of the office of planning and development responsible for administration of the community development block grant program shall be transferred to the community development finance authority. Any person employed in such a position at the time of the transfer shall be deemed an employee of the authority. Any individual transferred from the office of planning and development to the authority shall be entitled to continue to receive such health, dental, life insurance, deferred compensation, and retirement benefits as are afforded to classified employees of the state. Service as an employee of the authority shall be creditable service for purposes of N.H. Rev. Stat. § 21-I:30. Employees of the authority, however, shall not be classified employees of the state of New Hampshire within the meaning of N.H. Rev. Stat. § 21-I:49 but employees at will of the authority. The authority shall pay from its revenues the state share of such benefits. Any remaining costs of health, dental, life insurance, deferred compensation, and retirement benefits which an individual elects to receive pursuant to this section, shall be withheld from such individual’s salary as a payroll deduction. Written notice of the availability of these benefit options shall be provided to each individual upon transfer to the authority.