Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday offered praise for City Manager David Corliss in the first meeting since he announced his pending departure for a town manager job in Colorado.

But commissioners said more details about the search process to replace Corliss likely are still another one to two weeks away. Corliss announced his plans to become the town manager of Castle Rock, Colo., starting June 1. He is expected to serve in Lawrence until late May. Announcement of his departure comes as a new City Commission is set to be seated next week.

Mayor Mike Amyx — whose mayoral term is scheduled to end next week but will remain on the governing body as a commissioner — said he hopes that a discussion about how to fill Corliss’ position will begin as soon as next week.

“As soon as a new mayor is seated, I hope that process will begin immediately,” Amyx said.

Amyx said the commission will have to make decisions about whether to hire a search firm to assist in the process and about who will serve as interim city manager during the process. Amyx previously has said he thinks current Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard is a likely candidate to serve as interim city manager. He said he thinks it will be useful to make a decision on an interim city manager in short order.

“I hope that we can be fairly far along in the entire process of finding a city manager by the end of May,” Amyx said.

On Tuesday, however, much of the brief meeting was focused on Corliss and his service to the city, which dates back to 2006 as city manager but to 1990 as a City Hall employee.

“As somebody who had the opportunity to hire you, I look back and think that was one of the best decisions I made in Lawrence, Kansas,” said Amyx, who was on the 2006 commission that hired Corliss. “I look back and see your fingerprints all over things. You really have made Lawrence a much better place.”

Longtime City Commissioner Bob Schumm agreed.

“We’re going to have to work really hard to find the same level of talent that we’re losing in this transfer,” Schumm said. “I’m amazed with the quality of our employees, and that is a reflection on their manager. The mark of an excellent city manager is someone who has 800-plus city employees who are pulling in the same direction.”

Commissioners Jeremy Farmer, Mike Dever and Terry Riordan all thanked Corliss for his work as well.

Corliss has said he decided to accept the job in Castle Rock — a community of about 50,000 people between Denver and Colorado Springs — for a mix of personal and professional reasons. Corliss said he and his wife, Sarah, had thought about new opportunities as their youngest daughter graduates from high school this May. Castle Rock also is near Sarah’s parents in the Denver area.

Corliss on Tuesday read commissioners his letter informing the community that he would be taking the job in Colorado.

“Serving the citizens of this community for nearly a quarter of a century has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Corliss said.

Corliss told commissioners he also is confident about future successes for the community.

“The best news in all of this is you have a great staff,” Corliss said. “We won’t miss a beat. I’m excited about that and very excited about Lawrence’s future. As I drive around, I’m constantly enthused about Lawrence’s future.”

City officials said plans are in the works to hold a public reception for Corliss in early May.

In other business, commissioners unanimously approved $89.9 million worth of utility revenue bonds that will be used to pay for a new sewage treatment plant south of the Wakarusa River, plus a variety of other water and wastewater projects.

The city received an interest rate of 3.18 percent from Chicago-based William Blair & Company for the 25-year debt. The interest rate came in well below the 3.5 percent rate the city had estimated. The rating service Moody’s rated the city’s debt issuance at Aa2, which is one of the higher ratings the company offers.