Politics & Government

Fair Lawn Selects Interim Manager

Jim Van Kruiningen, a lifelong Fair Lawn resident and assistant to the borough manager for the past six years, will take over as acting manager on June 4.

Jim Van Kruiningen, a 21-year borough employee, will serve as the acting borough manager of Fair Lawn after current manager Tom Metzler steps down at the end of May.

Following a closed session discussion Tuesday, council voted 4-0 — Councilman Kurt Peluso did not attend the meeting — to appoint Van Kruiningen as deputy borough manager, Metzler said. He will become the acting borough manager on June 4.

"[Van Kruiningen] spent six years with four different managers learning the position," said Metzler, a strong proponent of having Van Kruiningen succeed him. "There's nobody more qualified in the borough to do it."

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Van Kruiningen, a lifelong Fair Lawn resident and 1990 Fair Lawn High School graduate, spent 10 years working as a police dispatcher, five years as the police records clerk and the past six years as the assistant to the borough manager. He's also been the borough's deputy emergency management coordinator since 2006 and is a 22-year member and ex-chief of the Fair Lawn Rescue Squad.

Van Kruiningen said he's looking forward to taking on the responsibilities of the position.

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"I'm up for the challenge," he said Wednesday. "I have a lot invested in the borough because of where my background is and where I am and I look forward to fulfilling the position."

In his role as assistant to the borough manager, Van Kruiningen has served as the borough website and community center website administrator, prepared and submitted grants assigned by the borough manager and is the coordinator of special projects and events assigned by the borough manager, among more than a dozen other responsibilities.

He's also the "Voice of Fair Lawn," responsible for reading the emergency phone notifications the borough sends residents during extreme weather events.

Van Kruiningen said it hasn't been determined whether his current position will be filled internally, externally, or at all, after he takes on his new role.

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