It's up to cops to decide how many resources they want committed to busting Uber drivers, Mayor Jim Watson says.

"Ultimately the police will decide what they're going to enforce," Watson said Wednesday. "We don't direct them to do that but it's really up to the police to make that call as to whether they're going to allocate resources to enforcement of the taxi bylaw."

The city this week requested police beef up enforcement against Uber under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. Only police can lay charges under the legislation, while bylaw officers can write tickets under municipal legislation.

The city made the call to cops after Watson met with taxi union leaders.

"I think there's a level of frustration on the part of the taxi drivers and the taxi union that the Uber drivers are, in essence, in breach of our own bylaw and they're admitting that themselves because each case that's come before court they have pleaded guilty," Watson said.

Council on Wednesday agreed to spend $300,000 on a taxi bylaw review, which will produce a report by the end of next March.

Meanwhile, Uber has started a campaign urging people to e-mail Watson and protective services chair Diane Deans about "smart regulations for ride-sharing in Ottawa."

Preliminary design for Stage 2 LRT approved

The city's $3-billion blueprint to extend rail service by 2023 cleared another hurdle Wednesday.

Council unanimously voted in favour of the plan, which would build LRT to Bayshore Shopping Centre, Algonquin College, Place d'Orléans and extend the Trillium Line to Riverside South.

Now with the approved environmental assessments, the city can ask the upper-tier governments to cover two-thirds of the cost. The goal is to begin the extensions in 2018, the same year the $2.1-billion first phase of the Confederation Line LRT opens.

Council sets its priorities

Council approved more than 60 priorities for the term on Wednesday, funded by a $37.4-million pot of "strategic initiatives" money in the budget.

They include work on a new central library, Ottawa 2017 promotions, LRT projects, cycling programs and environmental initiatives.

When it comes to the library, council still has to determine where it should go and how the city would pay for a new building.

Council also approved a motion from Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney calling for washrooms in the future Bayview and Hurdman LRT stations. The money would come from the $2.1-billion first-phase LRT project budget or another private sector source.

The term of council ends Nov. 30, 2018.

Budget consultations flipped around

It's now solely up to councillors to consult residents ahead of the annual city budget.

Council on Wednesday approved changes to the budget consultations. Instead of the consultations happening after the draft budget is published, the discussions will happen before staff craft the financial document.

No longer will there be the traditional multi-ward open houses led by staff.

Each councillor will be allowed $250 for consultation meetings.

The 2016 draft budget will be tabled in the fall.

The city is trying new ways to get people more engaged in the budget process. Mayor Jim Watson recently held a telephone town hall and staff led a Budget 101 session at City Hall.

Bus-train memorial finalized

The name of a memorial honouring the victims of the Sept. 18, 2013 bus-train crash has been finalized.

Council on Wednesday approved the name Memorial Park at Fallowfield Station and directed staff to publicly dedicate the park.

Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder said families of the victims decided on the name of the memorial. She said the park will be dedicated in October.

The crash between an OC Transpo double-decker bus and Via Rail train killed five bus passengers and the bus driver.

The memorial budget is $125,000.

Twitter: @JonathanWilling