Independent Contractor Payment of Employment Taxes and Other Expenses Independent Contractor. For the purposes of this Section 4.4, "Contractor" shall be deemed to include not only Contractor, but also any agent or employee of Contractor. Contractor acknowledges and agrees that at all times, Contractor or any agent or employee of Contractor shall be deemed at all times to be an independent contractor and is wholly responsible for the manner in which it performs the services and work requested by City under this Agreement. Contractor, its agents, and employees will not represent or hold themselves out to be employees of the City at any time. Contractor or any agent or employee of Contractor shall not have employee status with City, nor be entitled to participate in any plans, arrangements, or distributions by City pertaining to or in connection with any retirement, health or other benefits that City may offer its employees. Contractor or any agent or employee of Contractor is liable for the acts and omissions of itself, its employees and its agents. Contractor shall be responsible for all obligations and payments, whether imposed by federal, state or local law, including, but not limited to, FICA, income tax withholdings, unemployment compensation, insurance, and other similar responsibilities related to Contractor’s performing services and work, or any agent or employee of Contractor providing same. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as creating an employment or agency relationship between City and Contractor or any agent or employee of Contractor. Any terms in this Agreement referring to direction from City shall be construed as providing for direction as to policy and the result of Contractor’s work only, and not as to the means by which such a result is obtained. City does not retain the right to control the means or the method by which Contractor performs work under this Agreement. Contractor agrees to maintain and make available to City, upon request and during regular business hours, accurate books and accounting records demonstrating Contractor’s compliance with this section. Should City determine that Contractor, or any agent or employee of Contractor, is not performing in accordance with the requirements of this Agreement, City shall provide Contractor with written notice of such failure. Within five (5) business days of Contractor’s receipt of such notice, and in accordance with Contractor policy and procedure, Contractor shall remedy the deficiency. Notwithstanding, if City believes that an action of Contractor, or any agent or employee of Contractor, warrants immediate remedial action by Contractor, City shall contact Contractor and provide Contractor in writing with the reason for requesting such immediate action.
