Committee sends Hilton Head airport wildlife policy back to staff after employees and residents plead to save longtime feral cat 'Friday'

Public commenters and several county council members urged Beaufort County officials on Nov. 18 to pause consideration of a newly proposed Hilton Head Island Airport Wildlife Management Policy after employees and residents said it would end long‑standing feeding and care for a feral‑cat colony and a cat known locally as "Friday."

"His name is Friday. It is part of a feral cat colony that exists on that airport for the last two decades," Alexander Michael, who identified himself as an employee at the Hilton Head Island Airport, told the Public Facilities and Safety Committee. He said airport staff, church members and travelers have fed the colony for about 20 years and asked the committee not to adopt the policy until any FAA hazardous‑wildlife assessment is shared publicly.

Other airport workers described Friday as an emotional‑support presence for employees and stressed that staff routinely contend with rodents, snakes and raccoons. One worker said 48 airport staff signed a petition opposing removal of the cat.

Committee members and staff acknowledged the safety rationale behind a no‑feeding policy. County staff noted the USDA completed a wildlife assessment this summer and that the FAA's part‑139 inspection identified some attractants that warrant mitigation. County staff said the USDA recommended a no‑feeding rule because wildlife attractants can create a chain of events that increase the risk of hazardous wildlife strikes.

Several commenters also alleged hostile workplace pressure: Michael said the airport's head of security "has threatened airport employees to remove their security access and therefore their jobs for feeding this cat," and he reported the assistant airport director "mentioned to airport staff how much if it was up to him, he'd shoot them all." Those statements were presented as allegations by the commenters; staff did not endorse the characterizations but the committee heard them as part of public comment.

In committee discussion, council members asked staff for additional materials before a final vote: the underlying FAA/USDA assessments, any specific violations cited by federal inspectors or USDA recommendations that would require policy action, a clear map of airport boundaries and proposed buffer zones, and enforcement parameters (what the county could and could not enforce beyond county property). Several members said they supported the airport's safety goals but wanted clearer documentation and a defined boundary so residents and employees know whether activities off county property would be affected.

The committee voted, with no objections, to send the policy back to staff for revision and to return with additional information in January. Chair (speaker 2) and staff emphasized the referral was intended to give time to gather technical basis for the policy and to address employee‑relations concerns raised in the meeting.

What happens next: Staff agreed to include the USDA/FAA documentation, a map showing airport property and proposed buffer zones, and any recommended enforcement language when the item returns to committee. The committee did not adopt the policy at the Nov. 18 meeting.