FAIRFIELD — The weathered folk in the new, tiny town of Fairfield are used to facing challenges.

They've lived quite well for years in an isolated, windswept area of Cedar Valley that most people just know as a town they pass on the way to Tooele.

They've raised good crops, prize cattle and sturdy children. They are big-hearted people used to life with a lot of fresh air and without much government hassle.

That is about to change.

The 134 residents of this one-time boomtown have come into their own. Alarmed after county officials, despite their objections, approved the opening of a landfill on their doorstep, they pursued and won the right to govern themselves.

On Dec. 29, Fairfield officially became an incorporated town.

Now they have to figure out exactly what that means.

They have $500 and about six months to get it together.

"We think we'll be all right. What expenses do we have?" said Mayor Lynn Gillies.

Gillies and Fairfield's first City Council started Thursday at their first meeting by setting meeting times and a policy for getting on the agenda. They also declared a six-month building moratorium.

During that time, they'll be busy writing ordinances that will shape the town into the community they want to live in.

They'll need to get liability insurance and set up a planning commission and determine a budget.

They'll have to decide what kinds of development they want to see and how much regulation they want to impose.

It will make for interesting discussion since most of the residents are farmers who aren't used to asking for permission before they build a barn or erect a fence.

There are a lot of potential pitfalls ahead. Fortunately, they have help.

David Church, an attorney, has been sent in from the League of Cities and Towns with handbooks on how to run a municipality. The league also will train the council on zoning, planning and logistics.

Mark Trotter, manager of the Camp Floyd-Stagecoach Inn State Park, says his bosses are fine with allowing the new town to claim the restored Historic Fairfield Schoolhouse as its City Hall.

Utah County has deployed a county deputy to help with police protection, and Fairfield's share of the county-imposed restaurant tax will give Fairfield $165 toward playground equipment at the state park.

Gillies hopes for grant money for a new water well. The town must secure a second source of drinking water right away.

He's anticipating revenue from business licenses, and if worse comes to worst, the town can borrow against property and sales tax revenue that comes through in November.

"We don't want to have to do that, though," he said.

Fairfield folks like to pay as they go.

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E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com