GOSHEN, Ind. (AP) – A northern Indiana official hopes a new online communications site will help promote dialogue on community issues.

Elkhart County Commissioner Mike Yoder is using a program called PlaceSpeak to connect with constituents. The site uses some features from social media but adds a layer of verification. It helps users connect on issues such as zoning and school referendums by tapping into their residential location.

Yoder tells The Goshen News he's paying for the site himself but hopes to see the tool expanded into other areas of county government and possibly even to nonprofits and school corporations.

He says the program could eventually make local government more interactive and user-friendly by allowing residents who can't attend meetings to weigh in on issues online.