LUMBERTON — During a meeting Monday that lasted less than 30 minutes, Commissioner Roger Oxendine urged the Board of Commissioners to get help improving traffic safety in the Five Forks area.

Oxendine told his fellow commissioners during a meeting held via teleconference that he is concerned about the intersection at Five Forks, where state highways 130 and 904 meet.

“It’s very dangerous and we’re having a lot of accidents there,” Oxendine said.

He asked Board Clerk Tammy Freeman to write a letter to the North Carolina Department of Transportation asking that the traffic situation be addressed.

“I’ll keep writing until they do something,” he said.

In other matters, the board discussed finding a solution to increasing amount of garbage at the county’s collection sites.

Commissioner David Edge said he was turned away from a collection site by a site monitor who said the garbage bin was already full.

Other people have complained, Commissioner Tom Taylor said.

“The average person is going to stop somewhere on the side of the road and dump it,” Edge said.

Commissioners discussed hiring a new truck driver to handle the garbage load. Edge suggested contracting with a private company to deal with the trash.

Because of COVID-19, the county has experienced more trash generated by people cleaning out their homes, Oxendine said.

“That should kind of be settled down now,” he said.

After the meeting, County Manager Kellie Blue said she contacted the county landfill and was told the landfill was down two drivers this past week. One was on vacation and the other sick, she said.

But, those drivers are expected to return, and hiring more drivers would mean buying more trucks, she said.

“We’re not getting more drivers,” she said.

During the meeting, commissioners approved selling two surplus parcels of land on Elizabeth Street in St. Pauls to the town of St. Pauls.

Also approved Monday were resolutions to accept a bids $1,500 for land at 1003 N. Willow St. in Maxton and $13,700 for land at 306 Hull St. in Lumberton.

A lease purchase agreement between Home Trust Bank and Raynham McDonald Volunteer Fire Department was approved. The agreement clears the way for the fire department to buy needed equipment.