PROVIDENCE — Mayor David N. Cicilline has hired Sean R. Richardson, former chief of staff to Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy and now an associate in a prominent D.C.-based lobbying firm, to assist the city on stimulus fund issues.

The $135,000-contract calls for Richardson’s firm –– Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart –– to develop a plan to best take advantage of money coming from the federal government as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Richardson will help the city analyze current ARRA regulations, funding formulas and application requirements, and relay that information to the city’s Policy and Legislative Affairs Office. Richardson will also advocate on the city’s behalf as President Obama’s administration further clarifies how it intends to distribute the next phases of the economic recovery money.

“We need the expertise in dissecting this stimulus money,” said Mathew G. Stark, who as head of the city Policy Office coordinates the city’s administration of federal stimulus money.

“It’s really too much for the policy office to handle,” said City Council President Peter S. Mancini, who sits on the board that approved the contract. “This stimulus package is very detailed and confusing.”

On Monday, the city Board of Contract and Supply approved hiring the lobbying firm for nine months at a cost of $15,000 per month. The contract, which was not put out to public bid, covers some work already performed, according Rhoades Alderson, Cicilline’s communications director.

“The city felt that going through a bid process with other Washington firms that are unknown would be taking an unnecessary risk and waste precious time in a process that needs to be done right,” said Alderson.

Asked to explain why the contract didn’t go out to bid, Alderson spoke only in general terms: “Specialized professional services are often handled differently in the bid process because there’s so much variation in quality, whereas with large construction firms, for instance, you can assume the quality will not vary too much and simply go with the low bid automatically.”

Said Councilor John J. Igliozzi: “So long as it was done above board, I don’t have a problem with it, but that consultant better bring home the bacon 100 times more than it costs the City of Providence.”

It remains to be seen how effective lobbying efforts will be under the Obama administration. Lobbyists must now submit written statements about stimulus projects that will be posted on federal government Web sites.

Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart is one of the largest independent lobbying firms in D.C., with clients ranging from the city of Dubai, the State of Iowa, and major corporations.

pmarcelo@projo.com