City hall: Hamilton ready for a fight with UBER

UBER is coming to Hamilton, and the city is ready with an enforcement plan when it does. 

The ride-sharing service is coming to Hamilton "in the very near future," says a staff report coming to the general issues committee on Wednesday. That report also warns it is unlikely to follow city taxi rules.

UBER appears to have no plans to get a broker's license, which is required under the licensing bylaw, says the report from Ken Leendertse, the city's director of licensing.

"Staff has an enforcement plan ready, should UBER begin an unlicensed operation within Hamilton," Leendertse writes.

Licensing staff will work with city lawyers "should court action be necessary."

The city met with UBER officials after Coun. Sam Merulla of Ward 4 moved that it have fact-finding discussions with the company.

Those discussions revealed what the city feared — that UBER is coming and likely won't follow the same rules as the taxi industry.

There have been problems in other areas. The city of Toronto, for example, took UBER to court for an injunction prohibiting the service from operating without a municipal license. That will be heard this month.

Councillors will discuss the report at the council committee meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Here's what else is on the agenda:

• A petition for a Flamborough anti-amalgamation group about reviewing ward boundaries.
• Requests for proposal for Auchmar. 
• Annually auditing Hamilton Police Service.

CBC Hamilton reporter Samantha Craggs will tweet live from the meeting. Follow her at @SamCraggsCBC or in the window below.