Contracts which by their nature are not adapted to award by competitive bidding, such as but not limited to contracts for the services of individuals possessing a high degree of professional skill where the ability or fitness of the individual plays an important part, contracts for supplies, materials, parts or equipment which are available only from a single source, contracts for printing of finance committee pamphlets, comptroller's estimates, and departmental reports, contracts for the printing or engraving of bonds, water certificates, tax warrants and other evidences of indebtedness, contracts for utility services such as water, light, heat, telephone or telegraph, and contracts for the purchase of magazines, books, periodicals and similar articles of an educational or instructional nature, and the binding of such magazine, books, periodicals, pamphlets, reports and similar articles shall not be subject to the competitive bidding requirements of this Article. The purchasing agent hereinafter provided for is hereby expressly authorized to procure from any federal, state or local governmental unit or agency thereof such materials, supplies, commodities or equipment as may be made available through the operation of any legislation heretofore or hereafter enacted without conforming to the competitive bidding requirements of this Division 10. Regular employment contracts in the municipal service, whether with respect to the classified service or otherwise, shall not be subject to the provisions of this Division 10, nor shall this Division 10 be applicable to the granting or issuance pursuant to powers conferred by laws, ordinances or resolutions, of franchises, licenses, permits or other authorizations by the corporate authorities of the municipality, or by departments, offices, institutions, boards, commissions, agencies or other instrumentalities thereof, nor to contracts or transactions, other than the sale or lease of personal property, pursuant to which the municipality is the recipient of money. The purchasing agent may sell or cause to be loaned with proper surety, materials common only to the municipal water distribution system, to such corporations and individuals, upon a proper showing that they are unable to obtain such materials for the purpose of obtaining water from the water system, or while awaiting shipment from manufacturers or vendors of such material, provided, that proper charges for the sale of such material shall be made to such extent as to save the municipality from monetary losses in such transactions.
65 ILCS 5/8-10-4