By Phil Marcelo

Gary Bliss, Mayor Cicilline's former policy director, is back on the city payroll.

Bliss returned about two months ago after leaving his post as policy director earlier in the year, the mayor's chief of administration, Richard I. Kerbel, tells Political Scene.

Bliss gave up his City Hall job to become a partner in the Providence public relations and lobbying firm Clarendon Group. But several months after his arrival, Clarendon disbanded.

With his return to city government, Bliss is expected to take on other roles within the Department of Planning, including work on the foreclosure crisis.

But his salary won't come from city coffers. His $90,000-a-year paycheck will be paid under the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Plan.