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KENAI - About 50 friends and family members of Chuck Kopp jammed the Kenai City Council chamber Wednesday night, urging officials to reinstate him as Kenai police chief.

The only problem, as Kenai Mayor Pat Porter noted, they don't do that. It's up to the city manager to hire department level employees. City Manager Rick Koch is out of state and didn't attend the meeting.

Gov. Sarah Palin hired Kopp as the state's public safety commissioner in July. Kopp resigned two weeks later after an undisclosed reprimand that stemmed from a sexual harassment claim against him came to light.

Numerous people spoke in support of Kopp at the Kenai meeting.

Councilman Barry Eldridge asked that records of the public testimony regarding Kopp be given to the city manager when he returns from vacation.