From Second Street the capitol dome sits gray against a gray January sky, and the sidewalks below it are the first thing anybody judges after a snowfall. Capital Township Relief Office handles snow removal in Springfield, plowing, shoveling out walks and entrances, and salting the places where meltwater runs and refreezes overnight. Downtown snow has its own character, packed by footsteps and shaded by tall buildings until it turns to something harder than ice. The remedy is early hours and a scraper taken all the way down. When the town's front steps are clear before the offices open, the whole block feels looked after.