President Jane Karas told the college's board of trustees Monday it is still unclear what effect the increased costs will have on the scope of the project.

"Architects should be back in mid-December," Karas said.

The construction project had been delayed when a lawsuit was filed against the college over its mail-in bond election. That lawsuit was settled last month, although a new lawsuit filed Nov. 10 is challenging the validity of that settlement.

On Tuesday, Karas said the college's bond counsel is working on paperwork which will be sent to the state attorney general, who will then decide if the bond sale may go forward.

Karas said she doesn't expect the bond sale to take place until after the first of the year. The current schedule has construction starting next summer with a completion date in August 2005.

The expansion project was designed to include a new general classroom building with a 250-seat theater and large lecture room, an occupational trades building, and a child-development center for training child-care workers as well as providing day care.

In addition, renovations were planned for the Science and Technology Building, other buildings, roads, parking and infrastructure.

Karas and four board members were handed a copy of the newest lawsuit at Monday's meeting. Filed in Flathead County District Court, the petition alleges the college failed to give proper notice of a meeting held to approve the settlement of the earlier bond-election lawsuit.

"Our position is that we did comply with laws that govern notice of meetings," Karas said. "We don't believe it (the lawsuit) will have any effect on our moving ahead with the bond sale."

Rep. George Everett, R-Evergreen, and John Stokes, a radio talk show host, filed the suit on their own behalf.

A similar charge was recently judged without merit by an attorney who reviewed petitions submitted by Joshua Blake to recall the college trustees. Kalispell attorney Todd Hammer concluded that college officials appeared to have given proper meeting notice.

Contacted Tuesday, Everett said that the lawsuit speaks for itself. He said he agreed to join the suit to represent voters disenfranchised by the bond election and citizens not notified of the meeting in which trustees ratified the lawsuit settlement.

"Under Montana law, you should do what is right and lawful," Everett said.

Although he said he "doesn't know everything there is to know about the law," Everett said he read the applicable statutes and believes the college did not comply with the meeting notice.

The lawsuit names Karas, the seven college trustees and Deputy County Attorney Jonathan Smith. Since Smith was included as a defendant, private attorney Dana Christensen will represent the college president and trustees in the lawsuit.

Christensen said Tuesday he will seek to have the case decided by the court as quickly as possible.