The Hawai'i County Council Finance Committee on Tuesday unanimously created a new job position to oversee programs to control underage drinking, even though it's unclear how the position will be paid for once its funding grant runs out in two years.

The coordinator position is a required step in the application for a $1 million grant, said Managing Director Bill Takaba. Moving the responsibility from the County Prosecutor's Office to the Office of the Mayor will allow the county to better coordinate preventive and enforcement aspects of the program, he said.

The grant is coming through the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the state Department of Health.

The county has received a portion of the grant for planning and implementation and is confident the remainder will become available once the program is better defined, Takaba said.

The committee voted 8-0 in favor of the position, with Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann absent.

The position is needed, said Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole. She questioned whether the coordinator would be concentrating on a specific geographic area or work on the entire island.