For building codes, the fee paid to the planning department could cover the license fee for the standards. Yes I agree with your rewording, I would just add th

For building codes, the fee paid to the planning department could cover the license fee for the standards. Yes I agree with your rewording, I would just add that it doesn’t seem difficult to find a solution that satisfies both parties. Of course inertia is the real barrier. The current fee structure was designed when printing books was expensive, and that’s why it seems so obtuse in retrospect.